Love's Lesson
by NoReins94
Summary: Max is seventeen and loving life. That is, until, a heated arguement leads to a romantic night with Fang. Now she has to face the consequences that she cannot undo. Title is subject to change.
1. The Only One

**The Only One**

**A/N: Hey everybody. I decided I wanted to try my hand at a MaxRide fic. I don't own any characters, only the story line. Thanks to marauder05 and DANZNQUEEN who helped me come up with chapter titles. Read and Review.**

His lips pressed against mine and his tongue trailed over my teeth. A moment before we had been arguing about moving the flock again.

I came up for air and brushed my blonde hair out of my face. Fang's dark eyes roved over my body, taking in every inch and every curve. His chest was heaving.

I looked behind me and through the window. Gazzy and Angel were asleep on the couch. Angel's head was in Iggy's lap and Nudge was reading aloud. None of them had noticed our moment of romantic frustration.

"Max," Fang whispered. He didn't sound angry.

I turned to look at him and he reached for my hand. I didn't let him take it.

"Let's go flying," I said, unfurling my wings.

It was a cool night. Summer was beginning to give way to fall. The days were getting shorter and the leaves were starting to change colors. The sky was clear and millions of stars lit our path. But I had no idea where we were going.

After an hour of flying, with Fang navigating and not telling me where we were heading, we landed in a small grove of trees. Fang touched down first and began to look around. We'd had some trouble with Ari and the other Erasers recently and everyone was on edge.

"If they know where we are then its best if we move the camp," I said, my eyes also scanning the forest.

"Let's forget about that. I didn't bring you here to argue more," Fang said, a small smirk on his face.

"You didn't?" I asked. He shook his head, took my hand, and pulled me towards him.

A light breeze rustled the leaves, causing me to shiver. I was wearing a light blue tank top and loose jeans. My feet were bare and the mossy ground was squishy against my toes.

Fang released my hand and pulled off his jacket, revealing strong arms and perfect, tanned skin. He draped the jacket over my shoulders and turned me around.

Our eyes met and an electric shock went through me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me towards him, humming softly. _Did I mention he's tone deaf?_

_What's with him_? I thought, but I didn't really want to know. I was seeing a completely different side of Fang and I didn't want to lose the moment.

I rested my head on his chest and my arms circled his neck. We swayed back and forth in the moonlight. His humming was our symphony.

"I love you, Max," he whispered into my ear.

I looked up at him, shocked by his words. The boy that I had known since birth, the bird brother who was always there, the crush who broke my heart by kissing another girl. All of that faded away when I looked into his eyes and realized that he wasn't joking.

"I love you, too," I said, kissing him.

He was the only one I'd ever needed. He was the only one I'd ever wanted; the only one I constantly relied on. I was seventeen, in love, and living with my family. What could go wrong?

I felt his hands in my hair and his tongue forced its way into my mouth. He tasted like cinnamon and he smelled like the smoke from a camp fire. His jacket slipped off my shoulders and we tripped over each other's feet as he backed me into a tree.

"Ouch!" I yelped when my head hit the wood.

"I'm sorry," Fang said, backing away.

I grabbed his hand and pulled him towards me again. He kissed my hair, then my lips, and backed off again.

My head was telling me to slow down as I watched him remove his shirt, but my heart was telling me to go along for the ride.

_Be careful, Max_, the voice warned.

I tuned it all out as I ran my fingers through his soft, black hair and as our kisses became more intense.

I was seventeen and the love of my life had finally told me he felt the same. There was no slowing down.


	2. Alone

**Alone**

The next morning I woke up alone. I sat up quickly, not remembering where I was. Fang's jacket slid off and exposed my bare shoulders. The mossy ground was damp and the sun was beginning to shine through the leaves. A small smile graced my face as I remembered the events of the night before.

Fang's shirt was nowhere to be seen and his shoes were gone. _Did it really happen?_

"Fang," I called softly.

The leaves rustled and a twig snapped nearby, but Fang never appeared.

I stood up and unfurled my wings. I noticed that my clothes were piled up a short distance away and quickly pulled them on. I needed to get back to the flock and I needed to see Fang. I needed to ask him if he'd really told me he loved me and if we'd really done what I thought we did. I couldn't have dreamed the whole thing, could I?

_No, Max, you couldn't, _the voice whispered.

I carefully touched the back of my head. It was a bit tender, so hitting my head on the tree was definitely not a dream. In fact, there was a small bump where my head had made contact with the tree bark.

_Snap._ I jumped and spun around in a circle, desperately searching the surrounding trees for Fang's face or a glimpse of his black wings.

_What are you jumping at? It's probably just a squirrel,_ I told myself.

I took a running start and jumped into the air, pushing my wings down and fighting against gravity to lift my body into the sky. I hovered over the trees for a moment, trying to remember the way Fang had lead me.

It didn't take long for my sense of direction to kick in, and then I was zooming across the pink and yellow sky. At this rate I would be back to the cabin before the hour was up.

It was peaceful, flying alone, and the sky was gorgeous. The birds began to wake up, twittering sweetly. There was only one person I wanted to share it with. _And at the moment that person is MIA. _

When I reached the two-bedroom cabin, I found the door unlocked and silently slipped into the house. To my surprise the lights were on and everyone was gathered around the kitchen table. Fang was among them.

"Max's back!" Angel yelled when she saw me. She was tall for a nine year old, but that wasn't unusual for a bird-girl.

"I went for an early fly," I told them, shooting daggers at Fang, who was putting food in a picnic basket. "The sunrise was beautiful."

"Iggy made pancakes this morning," Gazzy said, his mouth full of food.

"Well, enjoy your breakfast. I think I'll go take a shower," I said, walking into the bedroom that I was sharing with Nudge and Angel.

I closed the door behind me and looked around the room. Nudge's bed was rumpled and I could tell that Angel hadn't slept peacefully. _Is it obvious that my bed wasn't slept in last night_? I wondered as I grabbed my towel and a change of clothes.

I sat down on my bed and sighed, the reality sinking in. I had left the Flock unguarded to go off on a romantic escapade with someone who left me alone when morning came. How stupid could I have been? Erasers could have injured a member of my family and I wouldn't have been here to stop them. Angel could have been kidnapped again. And then the fact that I still had a microchip in my wrist didn't help any, either. Fang and I could have been ambushed when we were together.

And obviously the night meant nothing to Fang. He was just acting on the teenage hormones that had been raging through him lately. But then, so was I, and it had meant something to _me_. Those three words had melted my heart and waking up alone was causing it to dissolve.

I took a deep breath and crossed the hard-wood floor, opening the door. Fang stood in the doorway. He looked as if he was about to knock. I tried to push past him.

"Max, let me explain," he begged, grabbing my arm.

"What's there to explain? We're just two hormonal teenagers, right? It was bound to happen sooner or later. I'm just glad to know how you feel," I said.

I could tell that my words pierced him like my hand could have pierced his skin. He looked towards the ground and searched for something to say next.

"I love you," he said.

"No you don't. If you did, you would have been there for me when I woke up!" I exclaimed.

He released my arm and said, "I thought you wouldn't wake up as early as you did. I was going to come back, but…"

I slammed the bathroom door. I turned on the water and stepped out of my clothes. Then I stepped onto the cold tile and stood under the streaming, warm water. It loosened the muscles that I didn't remember tightening. It also allowed me to let go of the sob that had almost escaped.

I slid down the shower wall and curled up on the shower floor. I felt broken and dumb. Tears slid down my cheeks, mingling with the warmth that the shower head provided.

**A/N: Some of you probably hate me right now, but don't worry, if you hang on for the ride better things will come. Please review!**


	3. Just Fine

**Just Fine**

**A/N: So this is all for today. I know this chapter is shorter than the other chapters. Please review.**

We went through the day in partial silence. Nudge was constantly talking about something and Angel was her usual, sweet self. It was as if life was going on even though I was hurting.

After showering, I laid in bed, trying not to think about how good it felt to feel Fang's lips on my skin.

Angel came in with a tray of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches around noon. She left the door open and I caught a glimpse of the rest of the flock. They were gathered around the small TV screen. Fang was laughing at something.

"Are you alright?" Angel asked, coming towards me.

"I'm just fine, baby," I told her.

I could tell that she didn't believe me, but she set the tray down on the nightstand and left the room. She kept the door open, probably hoping that I would come out soon. I wasn't planning on it. I wasn't planning on it, _ever_.

I turned onto my back and starred at the ceiling, beating myself up once again. I'd been running the reasons why I shouldn't have left through my head over and over again. It helped to keep my mind off of Fang's touch, but it didn't work for long.

I rolled back over onto my stomach and pressed my head into the pillow, screaming silently. Was my chest ever going to stop hurting? Would my heart ever be whole again?

_You can't mope around all day, Max_, the voice said.

And why not, I questioned.

_You've got a world to save and you'll have to face Fang sooner or later,_ it replied.

"I don't want to face him! I never want to see him again," I yelled, pounding my fists into the pillow.

"Max," Fang whispered. I turned my head and saw that he was standing in the open doorway. _Had I said that out loud?_

"Are…are you okay?" he asked. His dark eyes were concerned.

"I'm fine," I lied, "Just go away."

"I'm taking the Flock and we are going to go get some food," he said.

"I think I'll do some cleaning around here," I told him, swinging my legs around to the side of the bed and standing up.

Self consciously, I ran my fingers through my hair.

"Okay," he said, coming towards me.

He put his hand on my shoulder and I tried to turn away, a shiver going through me at his touch.

"I'm fine," I said again and I felt his hand fall off my shoulder.

"I do love you, Max," he said, turning away and walking out the door.

I waited till I heard the front door close to answer him.

"Why weren't you there?"


	4. Forgiveness

Forgiveness

**A/N: Hey everyone. I really want to thank those of you who reviewed the first three chapters. I wasn't sure about putting this up on the website and you have made it worth while. I wanted to let you know that I've only read the first two books, so some of the things may seem wierd because I don't know what's happened in all the books. **

I got the Clorox wipes out of the cabinet and began to wipe down the counter tops. They were cool to the touch, but sticky with maple syrup and jelly. Ah, _the pleasures of Iggy's cooking!_

Next I grabbed the Swiffer Wet Jet. _Me-Maximum Ride- being domesticated and using a Swiffer Wet Jet. _I wasn't even sure if I knew how to operate it.

Most of the cleaning products had been left behind by the cabin's previous owners. They were an elderly couple who could no longer take care of the place. He was a high school World History teacher and she was a high school English teacher.

Margaret Jane Arbor had found Angel wandering around a park one day and asked her if she needed a place to stay. Angel said she did and asked if her siblings could stay with her.

When Margaret found out that three of us were seventeen she and her husband decided to rent the house to us. We couldn't pay them, but we could keep the log cabin looking nice. They were like our guardian angels and they didn't question the fact that none of us really looked alike.

I started mopping up the tile floor. Gazzy's muddy shoes left prints and there were food spills everywhere. _That's what you get when you live with people who are always hungry._

It didn't take long before everything but the boys' bedroom and the living room was spotless. I didn't plan on going anywhere near the horrendous mess that would await me in the boys' room, so I headed to the living room.

The furnishings were simple. A brown, leather couch sat in front of a decent-sized television set. A coffee table sat between the couch and the TV.

I was surprised to find the coffee table cleared except for a folded piece of notebook paper. Normally mountains of dishes were piled on the wood surface until Iggy knocked into them or I got sick of trying to see over them to watch TV.

The paper was weighted down with a yellow apple. I picked it up and bit into it. The juice filled my mouth. I chewed slowly, glancing down at the notebook paper once again. **MAX **glared up at me in bold, black letters.

I recognized the handwriting. It was Fang's.

_Open it_, the voice encouraged, _you know you want to hear his excuse._

I sat down on the soft, leather sofa and picked up the note. I unfolded it slowly, a little afraid of what it would say.

_Max,_

_I hate that you woke up alone, but I can explain._

_I wanted to watch the sunrise with you and see the light in your eyes when you smiled. I had planned to be back before you woke up._

_I had this crazy idea of bringing breakfast to you. I also wanted to check on the Flock._

_When I got to the cabin the lights were already on. Angel hadn't slept well and had woken everyone up. _

_I was trying to put food in a picnic basket when you came through the door. If it had only been a few minutes later, I would have been coming back to the grove. You must have flown at your top speed to get back as quick as you did._

_I really am sorry and I wish I could go back to the moment I woke up. Given a second chance, I wouldn't leave you for the world. If the universe were in danger I would still have been by your side._

_I love you._

It wasn't signed, but it didn't need to be. A tear trickled down my cheek as I began to realize that I had judged too quickly.

I was standing up to throw away the apple when the front door opened. Gazzy and Nudge came in carrying plastic sacks full of groceries. Iggy held the door open. Fang followed with a few more bags.

He set them down on the kitchen counter and looked at me. I met his gaze and smiled.

"I'll put them away," I told Angel.

She had started putting cans in the cabinet. She bounded out of the room and followed Gazzy and Iggy out into the sunshine.

"I'm sorry," I said, walking towards Fang.

"I'm sorry, too," he said, taking my hand as I reached him.

"It's not your fault," I explained, "I jumped to conclusions and you were just trying to be sweet. Will you forgive me?"

Fang leaned towards me and softly kissed my lips.

"Of course," he whispered.

I kissed his lips and wrapped my arms around his neck. He deepened the kiss and ran his fingers through my hair. It was tangled and he hit a knot, but our lips stayed connected. He lifted me up and sat me on the counter with ease. Cans slipped off and crashed to the floor.

At that moment, Gazzy and Iggy came back into the room.

"Eeww!" Gazzy exclaimed,

I turned my head and felt my cheeks burning scarlet. _Well, at least we don't have to worry about keeping it a secret._

**A/N: I hope that this makes you happy! I really enjoyed writing this chapter because I wanted to get them back together as much as you all wanted them back together. I hope you found the ending as funny as I did. Please review. **


	5. Missing Mother Nature

Missing Mother Nature

**A/N: I want to thank Mystery Girl for finding a small, but important mistake in this chapter. I have corrected it and now Max is really _Max. _Thanks to my betas, maraudero05 and DANZNQUEEN. Please review!**

A month passed quickly and before I knew it, it was the last week of September. Fang and I spent a lot of time together. We shared late-night watches and stayed up, watching TV.

One day, I realized that I should be on my period. Nudge and I were always hormonal about the same time and we'd had to take a girls' only trip to the drug store recently. My heart skipped a beat when I realized I'd missed it last month, too.

I knew I was eating right, so that didn't have anything to do with it. I was sleeping beautifully and I most definitely wasn't stressed. The only problem we'd faced was the threat of Erasers, and even that seemed to have disappeared.

After a few days and still no sign of Mother Nature, I decided to go visit Margaret. I knew she would be able to tell me what was wrong. I told the Flock that I wanted to go check up on her and her husband. I packed a backpack full of water and food and said goodbye to the Flock.

"Be careful," Fang whispered, after kissing my cheek.

"Take care of them," I said, glancing at the faces of my family. "I'll be back in no time."

I unfurled my white speckled, tan wings and pushed myself into the sky. The Flock stood on the porch, waving goodbye.

After almost a day of flying at a leisurely pace, I reached the Arbor home. It was a simple, red-brick, one story building. Leaves were scattered throughout the small yard.

I flew into the wooded area about a block away from the home and walked back. It was a peaceful neighborhood. A group of small children were jumping in a pile of leaves and adults I didn't know waved a friendly hello.

When I reached the house, the mailman was dropping a small package into the mail box. He smiled at me and I smiled back, walking up the steps that lead to the front door. Hesitantly, I pressed the door bell. I heard scuffling inside as someone came to the door.

"Max!" Mattew Arbor exclaimed, opening the door. He moved to the right and beckoned me into the living room.

The room was finely decorated in spring colors. It was warm and welcoming, my favorite room in the entire house.

"Sit down. I'll get Margaret. She's been baking all day," Mattew said, smiling.

He was a tall man with grey hair and blue eyes. He had a very athletic build and had once told Gazzy that he played college basketball.

"Thank you," I said, sitting down on the sea green love seat.

I heard Margaret talking to Mattew and then the scraping of plastic on metal. I could smell the freshly baked goodies from the living room.

Margaret came down the hall and rounded the corner, a huge smile on her face. She placed a tray of oatmeal raisin cookies down on the coffee table.

"Hello, Max," she said, coming to sit down next to me.

She had a sweet voice, almost motherly. She was considerably shorter than her husband and dyed her graying hair. It was auburn this time.

"Where are your siblings?" Mattew asked, coming back into the room. He held two glasses of raspberry lemonade.

"It's just me," I told them.

Then turning to Mattew, I said, "I was kinda hoping to talk to Margaret alone. Girl stuff."

"Oh…well, then I best leave you two alone, he said, embarrassed. He left the room quickly and I heard the bedroom TV turn on.

It was silent for a moment. I wasn't sure where to start and I definitely didn't want to embarrass myself.

"So, what can I help you with, darling?" Margaret asked. She didn't seem the least bit uncomfortable.

"Well, my periods late," I stated, "In fact, I didn't have it last month either."

"How are you eating? Is it possible that you've gained or lost a lot of weight recently?" she asked.

I took the time to explain my eating habits. I didn't like it when we ate fast food all the time, especially now that we had settled down. Iggy fixed amazing, healthy meals. We only went nuts occasionally. _But who doesn't enjoy a double cheeseburger and large fry every now and then?_

"Have you been stressed? Living in such tight quarters could get extremely annoying," she said.

Her voice was extremely calm and I thought that she was probably thinking of her daughter who had died soon after her twenty-first birthday.

"I've never been better. If I hadn't been stressed before I wouldn't know the meaning of the word," I told her, reaching for a cookie.

"Well…how do I put this?" Margaret asked, looking around the room.

I took a bite of the cookie, waiting for her to come up with the right words.

"Have you had sex?" she asked. Her eyes looked directly into mine.

I swallowed hard, almost choking on the bite of cookie I had just taken. I could feel my cheeks burning, a dead giveaway.

"Oh, baby!" she exclaimed, taking my hand, "I hate to tell you this, but I think you might be pregnant."

I shook my head and stood up quickly. A little too quickly, because my head spun a little bit.

"It's not possible. It's just not possible," I said, holding my head in my hands.

Margaret stood up and put her hand on my shoulder, but I quickly shrugged it off.

"Thanks for your help, Margaret," I said, "I'd better get back to the cabin. I wasn't planning on staying this long."

I ran out of the house and down the street. I didn't stop until I reached the trees. And when I stopped there, it was only to catch my breath.

_This can't be happening, _my head screamed.

_Yes, it can,_ the voice countered.


	6. Little Blue Box

Little Blue Box

**A/N: So this chapter is a little short, but I've written quite a few chapters after it that should be posted soon. Thanks to my betas, marauder05 and DANZNQUEEN. Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews. Please continue with them. Hope you enjoy!**

_Pregnant._

_Baby._

_Maternity._

_Bottles._

_Pregnant._

_Mommy._

_Fang._

_Parenthood._

_Labor._

_Pregnant._

Words flew through my mind like a speeding bullet flying through the air.

_It's just not possible_, I told myself. I couldn't be pregnant. There was just no way. But I knew there was only one way to be sure.

There was a drug store a few miles away. I decided to walk there, hoping the time would help me clear my mind and cool down. It only added to the anxiety.

_If it's true, what will I tell the Flock? Will Fang want a child? Is he ready to become a father? _

_And what will happen to me? Will I live? Am I ready to become a mother?_

I tried to keep the biggest question at bay in the back of my mind, but somehow it managed to escape.

_Will the baby have wings, and be sentenced to a life of running from Erasers and having family as its only companions. Is that what I want that for my child?_

I reached the drug store and went down the aisles, searching for the one thing that would prove Margaret right or wrong.

It didn't take long to find the right aisle, but there were so many different brands to choose from. I picked up a small blue box and read the label.

Home Pregnancy Test

Results in 2 minutes.

99.9% accurate

As I stood there reading the box, a young couple came down the aisle. They were smiling at each other and looked extremely happy. The girl grabbed one of the boxes and they walked to the cash register, hand in hand. It made me wonder if I would feel and better if Fang was with me.

I looked around at a few of the other boxes. They all seemed to say the same thing, so I looked for one that was within my price range.

Settling on the first box I picked up, I walked up to the cash register and sat the test on the counter. The cashier was a middle-aged woman. She gave me a sad smile as she rang up the test. I gave her the exact change and grabbed the plastic bag she handed me.

"I hope everything works out the way you want it to," the lady called, as I left through the automatic doors and started walking back to the wooded area.

How do _I_ want it to work out_, _I asked myself. _How would Fang want it to turn out?_

When I reached the cover of the trees, I put the test in my backpack and drank some of the water I had with me. It was lukewarm, but quenched my thirst. My heart was pounding in my chest and I felt as if I might get sick. My stomach hurt and I wanted to go home.

After listening for signs of human life, I unfurled my wings and flew into the air.

The sky was cloudy and it looked as if it might rain. I decided to fly home quickly. I would take the test soon after I got there.

I prepared to guard my mind against Angel's special skill because I didn't want her to hear my worried thoughts. The last thing I needed was for her to find out that way. I wasn't ready to explain where babies come from to my sweet little girl. And at the moment it was the only thing occupying my mind.

_Could one night really change my life in such a radical way?_


	7. Moment of Truth

Moment of Truth

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for the wonderful reviews. I want to thank Eric Church for singing his amazing song _Two Pink Lines_. It was the inspiration for most of this chapter. Thanks again to my awesome betas and to you wonderful readers. **

**I only own the story line, nothing more. And remember if things seem wierd I've only read the first two books. Please review!**

Standing in the bathroom, I looked down at the test on the counter. In two minutes my future would be revealed. I slid down the wall, prepared to wait.

When I arrived home I was bombarded with questions. Everyone wanted to know how Mattew and Margaret were doing. I answered questions as I took food and water out of my backpack, careful to keep the test hidden.

Iggy was fixing dinner, spaghetti and turkey meatballs with baby spinach salad. I helped clean the spinach, while Angel set the table.

When dinner was over, Nudge helped me wash dishes while everyone else crowded around the TV.

The entire time I was washing and rinsing I was thinking about the test. I'd hidden it in the back of my underwear drawer. _Not very original, but definitely very safe._

Angel went to bed early and Gazzy went off with Iggy to work on some new invention, most likely involving dangerous explosives that could burn the cabin down. Nudge followed them.

"I'll take the first shift," Fang said, holding me against his chest. I wondered if he could tell that I was hiding something.

"I'm a little tired," I told him, spinning around and wrapping my arms around his neck. "I think I'm going to get ready for bed, but I'll take the early watch tomorrow."

"That's fine," he said, brushing my hair out of my face. He kissed my forehead and then my lips.

I felt my stomach clench as the voice whispered, "Tell him." I couldn't bring myself to deepen the kiss, knowing that I was hiding something extremely important.

"Good night," I said, pulling away.

Fang gave me a skeptical look, but didn't question the distance I had created between us. I felt him watching me as I went into the bedroom and closed the door.

After putting on a pair of sweats and one of Fang's old t-shirts, I took the test out of my dresser. I was careful to close the drawer silently so Angel wouldn't wake up. Then I headed to the bathroom.

I pulled my knees to my chest and stared at the ceiling. I tried not to look at the clock that hung above the bathroom door.

I jumped a little when someone knocked.

"Max, are you alright?" Fang asked. I could hear the worry in his voice.

I saw the door knob beginning to turn and jumped up quickly.

"I'm washing my face," I called, turning on the faucet and moving the pregnancy test to the other side of the counter. I didn't want him to see it if he decided to open the door and peek his head in. Although I really wanted him here with me, it was also something that I had to do alone.

"Okay," he said. I saw the door knob return to its original position and heard his footsteps gradually drift away.

Slowly, I turned my head and looked at the clock. Another minute and I would know. I sat down on the toilet, breathing deeply to calm my nerves.

I thought back on my years with the Flock. We'd been through so much together. If the test was positive, would I have the guts to drag them down with me? Was I strong enough to leave them and capable of taking care of a baby on my own? And what about Fang? His life would change drastically in only a few months if I was pregnant, whether he accepted it or not.

I wondered what would happen if someone at the School found out. My child would become another test subject if he or she was ever abducted. And if the Erasers attacked before it was old enough to defend itself I'd have to fight for it too. Was I ready to take on that kind of responsibility? I'd been a mother to the Flock as long as I could remember and all of them turned out alright. But could I have got them started if it weren't for Jeb?

The moment of truth finally arrived. I stood up carefully and looked at the box again. One line meant that I wasn't pregnant and nothing would change. Two lines meant that I was going to have a baby and nothing would be the same again.

_Here goes nothing_, I told myself, picking up the test. My hands were quivering.

One

Two

Three

My stomach clenched as I flipped the test over so I could see the results.

Two pink lines glared up at me. At that moment I knew that was how I wanted it to turn out all along. For better or worse, I wanted to be a mom. Whether I was ready or not, I wanted to have Fang's child.

I also knew that I would hide the pregnancy as long as I could, even from Fang. I wanted everything to be as normal for them as possible. At least until I started to show and I would cross that bridge when I got there.

**A/N: And now you know. For those of you who guessed it, congrats, but remember I'm still the author and may throw some twists at you. Keep reading. There is a poll for this story on my page so if you want to help with how this story will end, then go vote. I'm going to close the poll at the end of February.**


	8. Nightmare

Nightmare

**A/N: Hello readers! I'm glad to say that I have three other chapters of this story written and now need to get them posted. Thanks to both of my betas and to all of your awesome reviews.**

Two weeks later I woke up after everyone else. I'd been so tired lately and the noise that floated in from the kitchen pulled me out of my slumber.

I scrambled out of bed and grabbed the jeans I'd discarded on the floor. I took off my sweatpants and threw them in the dirty clothes basket. It was overflowing onto the floor, hinting that it was time for me to do some laundry.

Standing in front of the mirror, I began pulling on my jeans. I could see the small changes that my body was going through. All articles of clothing were starting to get too tight. Breathing in and sucking in my stomach, I zipped the zipper and snapped the snap. I turned to search for a shirt and decided on a dark colored one that I had stolen from Fang. It hung loosely around my body.

It was no wonder that my clothes were fitting tight. The midnight cravings had started. The night before I'd tried to fix myself a ham and spinach omelet with provolone cheese. It burnt and I ate it any way. _Can you say disgusting?_ But apparently the baby was happy and I wasn't craving anything anymore.

My long, blonde hair was an unruly mess. I moved across the room and picked up my brush. It had been lying on the dresser. Carefully, I began running it through the tangles.

When my hair was smooth, I pulled the locks into a pony tail and wrapped a rubber band around them. Then I took another hair tie and created a messy bun. A few strands fell across my face.

Checking my reflection again, my eyes wandered to my stomach. Self consciously, I raised my left hand and gingerly touched the small bulge that I knew was there. _My baby. _There was a soft knock on the door and Fang's voice came through the hard wood.

"Max," he called, slowly turning the knob and opening the door.

"Good morning," I said, walking towards him and planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Good morning," he said, wrapping his arms around me. It was at times like this when I was afraid he would notice the extra weight I was beginning to gain.

"Iggy fixed French toast for breakfast. We bought some fresh berries at the store to top them with. Angel helped by making fried…"

I didn't hear the ending because I was rushing out of the room, desperately trying to make it to the toilet. This had been happening quite a bit recently, but usually in the early hours of morning when everyone was still asleep. Smells would agitate my stomach and talk of food didn't help. Morning sickness really was a nasty experience.

As I puked my guts out, Fang sat by my side. He handed me a warm wash cloth and smiled.

"Maybe you should stay in bed today," he said, feeling my forehead. His hand was cold against my skin.

"I never get sick," I countered, trying to stand up on weak legs.

"Well then how about a few fried eggs," he said, opening the bathroom door. The sweet smell of powdered sugar and berry juice wafted in.

I could feel the rest of my ham and spinach omelet arguing with my stomach. Turning to the toilet, I laid my head down on the cool porcelain, begging my body to keep everything down. I could tell it wasn't planning on cooperating.

"I think I'll just…" I started, but ended up emptying the contents of my stomach. _Now I know what it means to worship the porcelain god._

"Let's get you to bed. I think I'll call Margaret and have her bring you something to settle your stomach," Fang said soothingly, pulling me up off the floor.

"NO!" I yelled, shocking Fang and myself.

"She doesn't need to come up here for me. It's probably just a flu bug," I said, lying through my teeth.

I hadn't spoken to Margaret since finding out I was pregnant, and I knew that she would know that it wasn't the flu. I didn't need her to come to the cabin and end up telling everyone what I had so carefully hidden. I knew that I would have to tell Fang soon because it was becoming more obvious every day, but I wanted him to hear it from me.

I walked back to the bedroom and watched as Fang pulled down the covers of my bed. I climbed in and lay down, tugging at my pillow. He pulled the sheets back up and sat down on the end of the bed, humming softly.

I remember hearing him leave the room, but then I was out.

_"Come on Max, you can do it," a woman clad in scrubs said. She was standing at the end of a hospital bed and a nurse stood on either side of her. The room smelled too clean. _

_My hands were holding me up as I pushed with all of my strength, biting my lip and trying not to scream. My stomach was huge and pain was cascading down my spine._

_"Where's Fang?" I asked as another contraction came. I needed him with me. It was his child, too._

_"Who's Fang?" one of the nurses asked. She was petite with red hair and freckles that covered her face. She held two blankets, one blue and one pink._

_"The baby's father. He was another experiment, a flying human like her. Ari's group took care of him when they kidnapped this one," the doctor answered. Her eyes showed no compassion as she spoke the words. "Apparently he was ripped to pieces. They couldn't do an autopsy on him, the body was so bad."_

_Fang was dead. My baby was going to be fatherless. The love of my life was gone. This couldn't be happening. Tears began to slide down my cheeks._

_Another contraction came and I squeezed the hand of the person standing next to me. If it wasn't Fang, then who was it? _

_Turning, I realized it was Ari. He was in the process of morphing and his skin was stretching across his wolf-like frame._

_Looking around again, realization dawned on me. It was no wonder that everything seemed too white and too sanitary. I was at the School. How did I get there? Where were the rest of the Flock and how could Fang be dead? We were good fighters and could hold our own. Unless he was trying to protect me and the baby._

_"I can see the head, Max," the woman said. My legs were covered with a blue cloth._

_Another contraction came, causing more pain than the one before. On instinct I pushed._

_A baby's cry filled the white room and I raised my head, trying to get a glimpse of my child._

_When I did, I saw the other nurse, a middle-aged brunette, morph into an Eraser. The woman who wore scrubs handed my baby to her and I watched, helpless as she took the tiny creature away from me._

_"Bring me my baby!" I yelled, trying to sit up._

_"It's in good hands now," the doctor said, smirking._

_Then Ari's face was in front of mine and his jaws were lowering towards my neck. _

_"Maybe Jeb will finally realize which one of us is better," he growled, "After all, you were supposed to save the world not get pregnant at seventeen."_

_I felt the pain as his long, sharp canines sank into my skin._

I woke up screaming. Sweat poured down my face and my shirt was soaked with it. Salty tears mingled with the sweat. They'd taken my baby and Fang had been murdered! Sobs racked my body and I started coughing, choking for air. I couldn't remember where I was.

All of a sudden the door flew open and Fang was by my side. I buried my face in his chest. He kissed the top of my head and rubbed my back, as the sobs subsided.

"What happened?" he asked.

I looked into his face, hardly believing that he was there. I thought that maybe I'd died and gone to heaven. The pain from Ari's teeth had felt so _real_.

"Max, what happened?" Fang asked, raising his voice a little.

"They took…" I began, but then realized what I was about to say. He still didn't know I was pregnant and I wasn't going to tell him like that.

"They took what?" he begged. His dark eyes met mine.

"They killed you!" I said, starting to sob again, "The Erasers killed you."

"No they didn't. I'm right here," he whispered," I'm right here."

Gingerly, I touched his face. I kissed him greedily and pulled him down on top of me. I felt his hands roam over my body.

Coming up for air, I softly whispered, "I love you."

"I love you, too," Fang answered, carefully nibbling on my neck.

"If I told you something that could change our lives forever you'd stay with me, right?" I asked, pushing him away and sitting up.

His large hands encompassed mine, his olive skin contrasting against my own light skin.

"Nothing would ever make me leave you," he said.

And for a moment I almost told him that I was going to be a mother and he was going to be a father. But instead I laid my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes.

**A/N: How many of you actually thought Max was going to tell him? Anywho...the poll on my profile is closing tomorrow, but if you want to vote here in a review please do. Should Max have twins, a boy, or a girl? Or should I through in a twist? **


	9. Memory

Memory

**A/N: Hi guys! The memory in this chapter isn't straight from the second book because I changed some parts of it, but the dialogue is the same. Read. Enjoy. Review!!! If I make it to 100 I'll be so happy!!!!!!! **

For the next few weeks I continued to have nightmares. Some were repetitive and contained the Erasers and doctors wearing blue scrubs. Others were about Fang trying to protect me from Ari. He always ended up dead, ripped to shreds. A few of the dreams were about Fang denying his child. Our child that was growing inside me.

The morning sickness ended and I slowly began to get my energy back. I prayed that the dreams would end soon.

Most nights, I woke up and had to muffle screams. Either that or I was brushing tears off my face and sobbing into my pillow. My emotions were constantly getting the best of me. _Stupid hormones!_

The morning of November 24th, I woke up from a vivid dream where Fang was murdered. I could see his blood dripping to the forest floor as Ari's sharp teeth penetrated his jugular vein. And I could clearly see his eyes roll to the back of his head as he drew his last breath.

Wiping the back of my hand across my watery eyes, I crawled out of bed. Quietly, I snuck out of the bedroom and went outside. The wind was blowing softly and the air was frigid. I unfurled my wings and wrapped them around me, trying to block some of the cold. An owl hooted somewhere in the distance.

I stood in silence for a few moments, trying to put things into perspective. As far as I could tell, I was at the beginning of the fourth month of my pregnancy, the start of the second trimester. I needed to tell Fang soon, but I wasn't sure I knew how. What would I say? Was I ready to face his reaction?

A memory from when we were living with Anne Walker suddenly came to mind.

_"She's taking my place," I said without meaning to. Fang and I had just watched Anne walk out of Nudge's room._

_Fang shrugged. "You're a fighter, not a mom." _

_I was shocked. "I can't be both? You think I'm a lousy mom? What, because I'm not girly enough, is that it?" I asked him._

_I remember being really angry and I let it get the best of me. I mentioned the ditzy red-head who had practically thrown herself at him and then shoved him away. Fang shoved back and I hit the wall. _

_"You're girly enough as I recall," he almost whispered. The first time I'd kissed him. God! I'd thought he was going to die._

_"And you've been a great mom. But you're only fourteen and you shouldn't have to be a mom. Give yourself ten years or so."_

I definitely hadn't given myself ten years; it had barely been three since then. And I still felt like a mother to the Flock, even though they weren't my own.

All of a sudden, strong arms were wrapped around me and I was lifted off the floor. I started to yell, kicking out with my legs.

"Calm down, Max," Fang said, releasing me. I spun around and glared at him.

"You scared the crap out of me," I exclaimed, blushing. The wind rustled through the trees and Fang pulled me against him.

We stood in awkward silence for a moment. The small bulge that was our child separated us more than it had before.

"Have you gained weight?" Fang asked.

_Men! How inconsiderate can you get?_ At least I knew that the extra weight was from the baby and not just me.

"I don't think so, but I haven't been flying lately," I said, letting my eyes burn holes into his head. _Hypothetically of course._

In reality, I was afraid of what the change in altitude would do to the baby. Pregnant women weren't supposed to fly on airplanes. I thought it would be best if I stayed on the ground for a while. I didn't know if the baby would have wings and air sacs like us.

I pushed away from Fang and went back inside. The sun hadn't started to rise yet. I crawled back into bed, hoping to catch a few winks of sleep.

Two and a half hours later, the Flock sat around the dining room table. Gazzy was begging me to let him and Iggy try out their new invention. I was remembering all the bad test runs they had taken in the past.

"I'll take you far enough away that Max won't freak when something blows up," Fang said, getting up from the table. I shot him a warning look, but Gazzy let out a victory cheer and hurried away from the table, eager to set out.

Before they stumbled out the door, Iggy invited us girls to join them. Angel looked a little hopeful, but I politely declined.

"I'm going to do the laundry," I said, glancing down at my purple sweat pants and baggy long sleeve shirt.

"We'll see you later then," he replied, shaking his strawberry blonde hair.

"If you're not home before dark, I'm coming after you." I said smiling.

Fang chuckled softly and I watched the three of them step off the porch and fly into the air. The sun shone brightly, glinting off of their wings and I could see the purple in Fang's long, black wings.

Sighing, I closed the door and began to clean the cabin. Nudge and Angel helped. Well, they helped a _little_ bit.


	10. Get Up & Fight

Get Up & Fight

**A/N: So two chapters in one day. Aren't you proud of me? Thanks to my betas DANZNQUEEN and marauder05. Please let me know what you think about this chapter. It kind of plays an important role in the stories outcome. **

Towels were in the dryer and jeans were in the washing machine. Angel and I had finished making turkey sandwiches and Nudge was pulling a tray of peanut butter cookies out of the oven, chatting away.

We sat down on the couch and I flipped on the television.

"Oh, it's _Lost_!" Nudge exclaimed, as a Korean man filled the large screen. He was lying on a beach and looked half dead, like he'd been through hell and back.

"Can we watch it?" she asked, happily.

"Only if you promise not to talk through it," I said, taking a large bite of my sandwich. Nudge scowled, but agreed to be silent.

After eating we were drowsy-eyed. I sent Angel and Nudge to bed, telling them that a short nap wouldn't hurt them. I picked up our plates and rinsed them quickly, telling myself that I'd wash them later.

When the doorbell rang about an hour later, I didn't hesitate to answer it. I thought that Margaret may have decided to come by for a visit. I hadn't seen her or Mattew since the middle of October and the rest of the Flock hadn't seen them for what seemed like forever.

It may have even been beneficial to talk to Margaret about my situation. She might have given me pointers on how to tell Fang, after all, she'd had to tell Mattew. But _they_ had been married.

I opened the door with a smile plastered on my face. I was hit with a huge amount of force and quickly surrounded by five Erasers. Two were still in human form. The others had already taken on their grotesque, hairy form. And I recognized one.

"Ari," I snapped, looking at him. My eyes burned with rage.

"Max," he growled, moving towards me. His eyes were blood shot and full of lust. He brought his hand/paw towards my face and lightly touched my cheek.

I yelped as I jerked away. His claws cut dug into my skin, not too deep, but enough to hurt. I could feel the sticky blood on my face.

Launching myself at him, I elbowed his nose. I heard it crack and blood began gushing from his nostrils. Another Eraser grabbed me from behind and threw me into the wall. My body smashed into the wood paneling and I crumpled to the ground. _Being double teamed is so unfair!_

"Where are your friends?" the Eraser asked, a smirk on her face.

I glanced towards the bedroom door, but didn't reply. Silently, I begged Angel and Nudge to get out. Standing up, I spun around and kicked her in the chest, knocking the breath out of her.

Ari pulled my hair and wrapped his furry hand around my neck and I watched as another Eraser came out of the boys' bedroom. Thank goodness they weren't here.

Ari removed his hands from my neck and picked me up. I kicked and threw punches but they didn't seem to cause him any pain whatsoever. He threw me into the coffee table. My head hit the corner and my sight became hazy. Carefully, I touched the side of my head and felt the red liquid that was beginning to come out of the large gash above my ear.

"No one else is here," another female said. She stood outside the girls' bedroom. _Thank God, they'd made it out._

_Get up and fight, Max, _the voice coaxed_._

I struggled to my feet and picked up a butter knife that had been left on the table. Using all my force I stabbed it into the nearest Eraser. He howled in pain and clutched his arm. One of the females rushed over to help him.

I blocked her way and launched a roundhouse kick at her. My leg made contact with enough force to knock the air out of her and cause her to wobble backwards. I headed for Ari, who was arguing with another Eraser.

"You stupid coward! There's five of us and one of her. This will be a piece of cake," Ari smirked.

"And I'm sure I'll taste amazing, too," I said, coming up behind him.

I pounced and clung to his back. I wrapped my arms around his neck, squeezing tightly. He wobbled slightly and began clawing at my arms. I bit down on my tongue to keep from screaming.

Ari forced one of my arms loose and twisted hard. I heard it pop and pain shot through my spine. I let go quickly, screaming and dropping to the floor. There was no denying that my shoulder was dislocated. I'd only felt this pain once before and Jeb had been the one to fix it. That definitely wasn't going to happen again. I'd have to have Fang pop it back in for me. It may not be as sweet, but at least the pain would go away.

Clutching my arm, I swayed as I tried to stand up. My head spun, probably from the large amount of blood that I had already lost. Looking down, I saw that one of the gashes on my left arm had hit a major artery. Blood was spurting from it.

Ari walked towards me. He raised his right hand. It was clenched into a fist. I saw it coming, but was too weak to block it.

He punched me in the stomach, knocking the breath out of me. It was painful and my mind suddenly flashed to the baby. I started to crumple and blinked rapidly. Anger filled me with extra energy. There was no way he was going to get away with this.

I backed away from him, trying to find room to kick out at him and ended up backing into another Eraser.

"Where do you think you're going, Blondie?" he asked as I turned around. I had been backing towards the door, but I wouldn't have made it through. The other Erasers would have been able to stop my escape.

I threw a weak punch at the Eraser, hitting him in the mouth. He choked and spit out a few, extremely long teeth.

I turned around and came face- to-face with Ari.

"Leave us alone," he growled at the other Erasers. I turned my head slightly and watched as they filed out the door. So, Ari was in command.

"Let's finish this," I said, anger and fear in my voice. I'd never been scared of Ari before and I wasn't now. I just wasn't sure that I had enough strength to defeat him.

I swung at him, making contact with his already bloody face. Then I shoved him hard, putting all my strength into my right arm.

"Is that all you have?" he asked me. I clenched and unclenched my hands, more anger bubbling to the surface.

Ari kicked me in the stomach again and I wobbled. The pain I felt slowly began to take over and a tear slid down my face. Ari began to laugh and hit me in the chest, cracking a few ribs.

He swung at me again and hit my face. My head snapped to the side and everything got fuzzy. Black, grey, and white dots clouded my vision and then the light left. Everything went black and I felt myself hit the hard floor.

He stomped down on my right leg. I felt both bones in my lower leg snap and the pain flew up my body. The pressure from the boot released.

Then Ari rested his boot on my chest and my breath left me as he stepped down. I began to cough and had to spit something out onto the floor next to me. I wanted to get up and fight, but my brain wouldn't move my body.

Ari chuckled and a smoky smell filled my nose.

"You're going to die a slow death," he whispered in my ear. "Bye bye, Maximum Ride."

As a stronger smell of smoke filled the room, I drifted out of consciousness.

**A/N: Some of you probably hate me right now, but don't worry good things are to come. **


	11. The Rescue

The Rescue

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for all the awesome reviews. Keep reading and you'll soon know how everything turns out. The point of view in this chapter changes and we start out with Fang. **

_Boom!_

Smoke and dirt filled the sky as Gazzy and Iggy's newest invention shot into the air. I couldn't see past my hands, the dust was so thick.

It had taken them a good two hours to assemble the rocket. Then they argued over who was going to shoot it off. Finally, I made them pick a number between one and twenty. Iggy guessed right.

"Hit the deck," Gazzy called. I fell to the ground, hearing the small missile zoom over my head.

When the smoke began to clear, I spotted two large birds flying towards us. One was white and the other was dark brown. Nudge and Angel.

Gazzy waved them in. As he did I scanned the sky for speckled wings and blonde hair.

_Where's Max?_

**Gazzy **

As I pushed my blonde curls away from my eyes, I saw Angel rushing towards me. Her face was white, as if she'd seen a ghost. Her blue eyes were glazed over and a few tears slid down her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" I asked, wrapping my arms around her thin frame.

"Gazzy," she said, looking up at me, "Gazzy, they hurt Max."

**Nudge **

When my feet touched the ground I started to run. I saw Gazzy and Iggy out of the corners of my eyes as I sprinted towards Fang. They were covered in dust. I guess their new invention hadn't been very productive.

"Erasers came to the cabin. We were asleep. Angel and I were asleep when they showed up," I started, a few feet away from Fang.

"Max was in the living room. She answered the door. Fang, she was alone. All alone. And Ari was there. We could hear him talking to her in the bedroom," I wiped a tear off my face and continued.

"We heard them fighting her. She was yelling out. They were really hurting her. Angel and I wanted to help, but there were so many of them. We snuck out our bedroom window. I felt so helpless. It's all my fault. We couldn't help her. She's hurt and it's all my fault," I said, pausing for a short moment.

"They set the cabin on fire, Fang. You have to help Max. She didn't come out. The cabin's on fire and she's still inside. You have to save her. We have to go back. She could burn. We have to…"

"Slow down, Nudge! What happened to Max?" Fang asked, putting his hand on my shoulder.

**Fang**

Tears streamed down Nudge's face as she retold the story. Panic coursed through my veins as I pictured Max, crumpled on the living room floor.

By now Gazzy, Iggy and Angel were standing next to us. Nudge was sitting on the ground, hyperventilating.

"What are we going to do?" Iggy asked. His grey eyes looked right through me.

"_You_ are going to stay _here_. I'm going to go get Max," I said.

"You can't make us stay here. I'm coming with you," Gazzy argued.

"Me too," Angel said, looking up at me. Her face was dirty and tear-streaked.

"Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I can't help," Iggy exclaimed.

Nudge looked at me with her big, puppy dog eyes. "You're not the only one who loves her," she whispered.

Her words hit me like a ton of bricks and I looked at the sad faces that surrounded me. Max was like a mother, an older sister, to them. We all needed her.

"Okay, let's go get her."

**Iggy**

We took off quickly and were soon flying through the air. I kept my wings against Nudge's. I could feel the pain radiating off of her body. She kept mumbling to herself, quiet words that only I could hear. We were behind the others.

"It's not your fault," I told her.

"If we'd fought instead of fleeing, Max would be here with us," she whimpered, moving higher in the sky.

"If you had stayed, you or Angel could be lying in a burning building right now. If we hadn't left Max wouldn't have been the one to answer the door. You can spend your life playing the game "IF", but it won't change what happened. Its okay to feel bad, but don't blame yourself. You're not responsible," I told her.

"Thanks, Iggy," Nudge said, Her voice quivered slightly.

We flew in silence, but I could hear Nudge sniffling beside me. The air got heavier and the temperature rose.

"We're here," Fang said. His voice wasn't normal. Its strength was gone.

Nudge angled her wings downward. I shifted mine to match.

**Angel **

"Holy Moly!" I exclaimed.

The cabin was engulfed in smoke. The air was sticky and I pulled a strand of blonde hair away from my face.

"I'm going in," Fang said, looking at us. He could no longer keep the fear from his voice.

Tears began sliding down my face for the second time.

"Be careful!" I yelled, running up to him.

"I will, sweetheart," he said, brushing my bangs away and kissing my forehead, "I will Angel."

**Fang **

Four pairs of eyes burned holes in my back as I walked towards the burning house. I shed my jacket and used it to open the door. I could feel the hot metal through the leather and when I opened the door smoke billowed out.

"Max!" I called, trying to scan the entry way. The smoke was so thick that I couldn't see anything in front of me. I wondered if this was how Iggy felt all the time.

I heard a small moan coming from the living room. Orange flames were consuming the walls and furniture, but the flames seemed to be centralized in one area.

"Max," I called again, getting on my hands and knees. The smoke was lighter near the floor and I began crawling towards the living room.

**Nudge**

"He's been in there too long," I said, pacing back and forth.

Gazzy was comforting Angel, who hadn't stopped crying since Fang went into the cabin. Iggy's unseeing eyes were focused on the house.

"What if he's hurt?" I asked, "What if they're both dead?"

Angel let out a sob and leaned into Gazzy's shoulder.

"Calm down a little bit, would you?" Iggy said, turning to face me, "Fang's good at getting Max out of rough patches."

I took a deep breath, blinked, and turned towards the house.

"Come on, Fang," I whispered, praying for a miracle.

**Fang**

I'd made my way into the living room, my hands guiding my way. Coughing, I called out for Max. Her occasional moans guided me forward.

Finally, my hand touched something soft. Her hair!

"Max," I whispered, taking her face in my hands. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was ragged.

"Come on, Max. Talk to me," I said, carefully picking up her delicate body. She screamed when I bumped her leg with my knee.

"Please Max," I begged, carefully kissing her lips. Her body was limp in my arms and I could smell burned flesh.

Tears began stinging my eyes. I bit my lip to keep them from falling. No way was I going to be weak now. Not when the Flock and Max needed me most.

"Oh please, baby. Please talk to me," my voice broke.

"Fang," Max whimpered. Her eyes flickered and her gorgeous, chocolate brown eyes settled on my face.

"Hold on, baby. I'm gonna get you out of here," I said, kissing her forehead and carefully standing up.

She smiled weakly then began to cough, clutching her stomach. Blood escaped her mouth and I hurried to get out of the furnace.

I was close to reaching the door when Max reached up and touched my face.

"Fang," Max mumbled. Her eyelids flickered and she coughed again. She tried to whisper something else, but it was incoherent.

"It's going to be okay, Max. We're almost out," I said, stroking her tangled hair.

I pushed the door open and her eyes closed again.

**Angel**

"He's coming out!" I exclaimed, pushing away from Gazzy.

We watched as Fang came towards us. He cradled Max in his arms and moved cautiously.

"Oh my God, she's covered in blood," Nudge gasped.

She wasn't lying. Max's arm seemed to be bleeding and her blonde hair was caked with so much of it that her hair appeared to be rusty.

When Fang reached us I saw the blood from a broken nose and burn marks covering her skin. My mind picked up his subtle thoughts and I wondered how much more he could take before breaking.

"How bad is it?" Iggy asked. Gazzy led him over to Fang and I watched him carefully examine her body.

"What are we going to do?" Nudge asked. We all knew the answer, but none of us wanted to say it.

"We've got to get her to a hospital," Fang said.

**Fang**

I carried Max to the nearest highway, the rest of the Flock trailing behind. My arms were sore and my back ached, but I was going to get her help even if it meant walking all the way to the nearest hospital.

When we came up on the road it was deserted. The road was flat and I could see for miles. There wasn't a car in sight.

"I guess we're walking to town, guys," I said, when they reached me.

Surprisingly, no one groaned or complained. Even Nudge was silent. We walked on.

**Nudge**

We'd walked at least three miles and hadn't seen a single car. I was so used to flying that my feet were sore from pounding the pavement.

"Look, guys!" Angel said, pointing ahead of us. A green SUV was coming our way.

"Help," I began yelling, waving my arms back and forth. Angel and Gazzy joined in and soon the van was pulling onto the shoulder.

A middle-aged Hispanic woman climbed out of the vehicle and started walking towards us. Her mouth dropped at the sight of Max.

"Please, Ma'am," I began, "Could you take us to the nearest hospital?"

She turned to me and nodded her head. "Yes, of course. What happened?"

I looked around at Angel, Gazzy and Fang, hoping one of them had some type of plan.

"Our cabin was robbed and set on fire. Chrissie was the only one home," I explained as we climbed into the van.

"That's horrible," the woman said, as she buckled her seatbelt and hit the gas.

**A/N: Please let me know if any of this confuses you. I really like showing the different views, but they may be a little confusing to follow. **


	12. From The Doctor's Mouth

From The Doctor's Mouth

**A/N: This chapter is from Fang's POV. Please let me know what you think, and thanks for all the awesome reviews over the last chapter.**

Pallid walls closed in on the Flock as they stumbled into the ER. Fang clutched Max's lifeless body to his chest. Her blood soaked his t-shirt.

"Please, we need help!" Nudge yelled. All of the eyes in the room turned to her and one of the women at the desk buzzed for a stretcher

When the medium-sized stretcher arrived, Fang carefully set Max's injured body down on it. Two nurses rushed her away and another held Fang back as he tried to push after them. He needed to be with her. He needed to be able to look the Flock in the face and let them know that everything was going to be alright. He needed to be able to comfort Angel and to stop Nudge from feeling guilty about something she couldn't control.

"Please, go sit down," the nurse said, smiling sympathetically, "You'll be updated as soon as possible." Fang watched as she turned and followed the other nurses down the long hallway.

After a few long, silent minutes Angel and Gazzy sat down on a purple sofa. Nudge took Iggy's elbow and led him to a seat across from the sofa.

Fang continued starring at the double doors the nurses had taken Max through. If someone asked him what happened what was he supposed to say? Max always came up with the cover-ups and now she was the one who needed help. _His _Max was lying on a hospital bed, probably being poked and prodded with all types of instruments that were used by the malicious scientists at the School.

"Excuse me, sir," a tall man said, coming up to Fang, who turned to face him.

"Did you come in with a blonde? My colleagues and I are wondering… do you have wings, like her?" the man asked. He was wearing a white lab coat and pointing towards the rest of the Flock. His name tag read Dr. Scott Marshall. He wasn't pushy, but his tone was serious.

Fang nodded slowly. He needed to know how Max was, but he also needed to protect the rest of the Flock. If this was some kind of trap, he didn't have Max there to tell him to run.

"She's lost a lot of blood…" the doctor began, then paused, as if asking for a name.

"Adam," Fang said. Though it had been the first name that popped into his head, it reminded him of the rocker on American Idol. He liked the guy's music. It was edgy.

"Yes, well, Adam, she's lost a lot of blood. She needs transfusions, and quickly. If we can't get the proper blood type soon she'll go into a coma. My colleagues seemed unconcerned about the wings, but I wasn't sure how the blood we have on stock would affect her," Dr. Marshall explained.

"No. Normal blood wouldn't do her any good. In fact, it could kill her," Fang began, "But I can give blood. We're the same type."

"I'm afraid that you wouldn't be able to provide enough," Dr. Marshall said, shaking his head, "You would practically drain yourself and then we'd be worried about you becoming comatose."

"Then we'll all give blood," he said, turning to the others, "Come on guys. Chrissie needs our help." Iggy started to laugh, but choked when I glared at him.

The doctor led them into a lab room. It was too sanitary, the clean smell burned Fang's nose and put everyone on high alert. Five nurses stood in the room, preparing to draw a large amount of blood.

Fang sat down first and the others followed. The seats were reclined back and one of the nurses turned his arm over, palm facing up.

"Does it hurt?" Angel whispered. She was staring at a needle that a male nurse was holding. She took Fang's right hand.

"No, sweetie," he said, squeezing her small hand. And even though it didn't hurt when a pretty red head poked him with a needle, but he flinched anyway, remembering days at the School.

Two hours later the Flock sat in a waiting room eating chips and fruit. They were still dizzy from their blood donations. The TV was on and turned to some theatrical soap opera, but Fang had muted it.

Dr. Marshall came out of the hospital room that was directly across the hall and joined the Flock. Fang stood quickly, bumping Iggy's arm.

"Chrissie is awake. She's a bit groggy and we've given her a large amount of pain medication. She has a few fractured ribs and we've set a cast for her leg. One of my colleagues will pop her shoulder back into place later tonight because my shift is almost over," Dr. Marshall told the group.

"That's great!" Nudge said. The entire Flock was thrilled by the good news.

"Yes, all of that is good. However, we are unsure of how the injuries and large amount of smoke inhalation have affected the fetuses. We've called…"

Fang tuned out the doctor's words. Fetuses, didn't that mean babies? Max was pregnant? Sure, she'd been moody lately and she'd gained some weight, but she couldn't be having a baby… babies. Max was okay, but they weren't sure about the…

"Holy crap!" Fang exclaimed as realization dawned on him. He looked around at Iggy, Gazzy, Nudge, and Angel. They seemed as shocked as he did, all except Angel.

"You knew?" he asked.

Angel's blue eyes looked up at him with innocence. "I had a hunch," she mumbled.

Fang turned away from her and looked at Dr. Marshall. He carefully hid the anger and hurt in his composure. "Can I go see her?" he asked.

"Sure," Dr. Marshall said, an almost knowing smile on his face.

The others watched as Fang walked across the hall and entered the hospital room, softly closing the door behind him.

**A/N: Well, he knows. Now you'll have to wait to see his real reaction. **


	13. Anger, Love, & Tears

Anger, Love, & Tears

**A/N: So we are now in 3rd person POV and the moment you've all been waiting for has finally arrived. I won't keep you waiting long, but I want to thank all you awesome reviewers. You're what keeps this story going. I also want to thank my BFFs and betas, DANZNQUEEN and maurader05. Thanks guys! **

**I should also add a disclaimer because I haven't done that in a while. I am not, in any way, shape, or form, James Patterson, though I may wish that I had his creative mind. I do, however, own the twins and the story line. **

Max heard the door click into place and the unmistakable clunk of Fang's combat boots on the tile floor. She slowed her breathing and closed her eyes, hoping that if she appeared to be asleep he'd leave her alone. She was still trying to get over the shock of hearing that her _babies _might not make it. She didn't think she was going to be able to handle facing up to their father.

Fang stood in the doorway for a moment, taking in the sight before him. Max was connected to lots of tubes and they were still giving her a blood transfusion. Her face was extremely pale and her blonde hair had been shaved in one spot so the doctors could stitch up a large gash behind her ear. Her arms were covered in some type of gel. It had a foul smell, but it was supposed to help the burns heal without scarring.

His ears picked up on a faint beeping noise and he turned to see a heart monitor. It was keeping track of three hearts. One beat rapidly, strongly. The other two were weaker, fainter.

He moved over to the chair and sat down next to the bed. Carefully, he pushed her blonde bangs to the right side of her colorless face. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to shake her in anger or break down in tears. He settled for taking her small hand.

"Why didn't you tell me, Max?" he whispered.

She turned her head and opened her pretty, sad, brown eyes, knowing that she hadn't fooled him even a tiny bit.

"Tell you what?" she asked, but her hand traveled to her stomach, where the blue hospital gown couldn't hide her rounded frame.

"Don't play coy with me. Why didn't you tell me you're… pregnant?" Fang answered, standing up quickly and dropping her hand. Saying the word aloud seemed to make it more real.

Max tried to prop herself up, using her undamaged arm. She watched Fang in silence. She could see the emotions running through his dark eyes.

"How long?" he asked, breaking the heated silence.

"How long what?" She was acting like a dumb blond. Just like millions of normal American girls.

"How long have you known?" Fang half asked, half yelled.

Max stared at him, dumbstruck. Fang only yelled when he was really ticked off and this time his voice was louder than normal.

"How long have you known?" he asked again, slamming his fist against the nightstand and knocking the TV remote to the floor. The television clicked on, some random soap opera muted on the screen.

"Six weeks," Max mumbled, looking down at the floor, "I found out the last time I went to visit Margaret."

"Six weeks! You've known for six weeks and I've been standing around trying to figure out what was wrong with you," Fang exploded, "I thought your expiration date had shown up or something. All the hormone imbalances and your constant sleeping. You never wanted to fly with us. I thought you were worried about falling out of the sky.

"Jeez, Max, I thought I was losing you. And instead, today, I could have lost all three of you. Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, his body shaking, his hands clenched into fists.

Max didn't know what to say. She couldn't tell him what she really thought, but she knew he deserved the truth. Slowly, she lifted her head and looked into his dark eyes.

Taking a breath, she said, "I thought you wouldn't stay. We're both so young. I thought you wouldn't want the burden. You or the rest of the Flock." A tear slid down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away.

"I was scared; scared of being with you, scared of being alone. My nightmares just made me even more leery about everything. I kept seeing you dying or denying your child…children. I knew that if I didn't feel ready you wouldn't either.

"I love you, Fang, but I don't want to push you into fatherhood. Neither one of us planned for this to happen, but if you don't want the responsibility, you don't have to take it. I'll leave…" She started to go on, but was quickly interrupted by Fang.

"I'm as at fault for this as you are, Max. And we may be young, but we can do this. Gazzy and Angel turned out okay, didn't they?" he asked, a smile on his face, "I just wish you would have told me sooner. I don't want to miss anything else. You're my family and I almost lost you."

He sat down on the hospital bed and carefully wrapped his arms around her bruised body. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he kissed the top of her head.

They sat that way for a few moments, but then the rest of the Flock came in. They crowded around Max , trying to hug her and talk to her all at once. Fang would have faded into the background had it not been for the fact that Max was still clutching his hand.

"So I'm gonna be an aunt," Angel said, smiling brightly.

Max looked at her shocked. "You knew?" she asked flatly.

"She knew," Fang said, moving back into the circle.

"Well, I had a hunch," Angel said for the second time that evening.

They all laughed and continued hugging and talking with one another. Max was safe and there was going to be two new additions to the Flock in the near, but distant, future. For now everything was perfect.

**A/N: How did you like it? Was it over/under done? Please let me know. Review, review, review!**


	14. An Unexpected Visitor

An Unexpected Visitor

**A/N: I know it's been a while, but I've had a lot of things going on. I tried out for my school dance team. Finals are drawing closer. And my grandmother was in the hospital for a while. I want to thank all of you who come back and read this story even though it's been soooo long. Thanks for being patient with me.**

A little over three weeks later, my burns were healed and my broken bones were nearly mended. Tired of staring at the blank, white walls, I begged everyone –and I mean _everyone_- to let me out. I needed fresh air. I still hadn't gotten used to the too-sanitary smell and look of everything. But the doctors were still concerned about the weak heartbeats of the twins.

Twins! I mean, birds usually laid more than one egg, but I was only one teenage girl who was supposed to save the world and was already in charge of four other people. How was I going to keep up with all the pressure while pushing a double stroller? I hadn't even figured out how I was going to do it with one little bundle of joy.

Lucky for me, Fang was constantly at the hospital, glued to my side. I was so happy that he'd reacted the way he did. I didn't have to worry about hiding anymore, and from the look in his dark eyes, I knew that we could make it through anything. Plus, with my raging pregnancy hormones and Fang's all-too-willingness to oblige, (Thank goodness he wasn't repulsed by my pregnant stomach!) we'd almost been caught making out by nurses more than once.

But today Fang and the Flock were MIA. Apparently there was some kind of amusement park nearby. Gazzy and Iggy had been dying to go, so after making them promise not to blow up anything, I gave Fang permission to leave my bedside. I could live with no one to talk to for… approximately ten minutes, and there was no way I was striking up a conversation with a nurse. I planned to be utterly bored out of my mind.

"Chrissie?" one of the nurses asked, coming into the room. I rolled my eyes and silently cursed Nudge for giving me such a girly name.

"Chrissie, there's someone here to see you," she said, pushing her long, black hair behind her shoulder.

"Okay, well, the door's open. It's not like there's a 'Do Not Disturb' sign hanging on the doorknob," I said, leaning back into the pillow and picking up the remote. She left the room, clearly insulted.

I channel surfed for a few minutes before settling on one of the many talk shows that are on at 9 AM. There was a way-to-perky blonde talking to some old, gray-haired guy about finances and romance. Complete snore-fest!

A soft knock sounded on the open door and light, clicky footsteps sounded on the gray-speckled tile. They were footsteps that I remembered from a beautiful mansion-like farm house; footsteps that I had hoped to never hear again. But hope doesn't help much does it?

"Hello, Max," Anne said, coming into view. She moved to stand at the end of the bed and I saw the shocked satisfaction in her eyes as she took in my condition.

"Max, Max, Max," she chided, "don't you know how much danger you've gotten yourself into."

I flicked off the television and waited a few seconds before asking, "What the hell do you want?"

"You were supposed to save the world, not breed. The scientists have no way of knowing what the outcome will be."

"You mean the white coats didn't program this for my future. Isn't this just another obstacle I have to face?" I snapped, sarcastically.

"Max, do you understand the seriousness of your and Fang's actions? You could die, and then who would save the world?"

"Who said Fang was the father? And since when do you care about saving the world?" I asked.

She ignored the question. "No one knows how the twins will turn out. The best thing, the healthiest thing for you would be to…"

My mind whirled for a moment. I hadn't said anything about having twins. Then again, nurses seem to blab everything.

"You don't know the outcome and neither do I, but if you're even considering telling me to get an abortion you're crossing the line. You have no authority over me. I'm not a little dog who's willing to do everything you ask. I love Fang and he loves me and we are going to bring these children into the world," I said coldly. "Plus, I think it's a little late for that scenario."

A sad smile graced her face for a moment. It didn't reach her eyes. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Max" she said, pulling a small vial from her jacket pocket.

I watched as she pulled a syringe from the same pocket and filled it with the clear liquid from the vial.

I slowly struggled out of the bed, but Anne was in front of me before I'd taken a step, _Stupid cast!_

"Why don't you take it easy?" she said, pushing me back to the bed. Her grip was iron. She was stronger now and her eyes showed no emotion.

I tried to fight. Kicking with my good leg and punching out with my arms. She didn't even flinch. She was like a robot… or a clone!

Even as I struggled, clone Anne managed to find the vein in the crook of my elbow. I felt a hot, burn run up my arm as the unfamiliar liquid entered my blood stream. My sight grew hazy and clone Anne faded in and out of focus.

"Bye, bye, Max," I heard her say. And then my chest clenched and everything blackened except for a white light a few meters away.

Three high pitched beeps sounded in unison and then the heart monitor flat lined.

**A/N: Yes, it's another cliff hanger. I am working on the next chapter and hope to have it up soon. Please review. I appreciate all of you readers.**


	15. Fun and Fright

Fun and Fright

**Disclaimer: I am not James Patterson, though I do want to be a writer some day. **

**A/N: Hey y'all! Sorry it took me so long to get another chapter put up. Thanks for being so patient and reviewing a lot. I had a lot going on: finals, dance team try-outs, dance team practice after making it, journalism 1 paper that I co-edited, and a very important, very loved family friend passed away. I hope to get more chapters up soon, but hopefully this chapter will make it up to you. Thanks to my betas DANZNQUEEN and marauder05. You guys rock!**

**This chapter is told through Fang's perspective. Oh, and if a amusement park ride sounds familiar, I modeled it off of Cyclone Same at Worlds of Fun. Read and Review!**

We exited an old-fashioned ice cream shop that was located near the center of the amusement park. Huge groups of people swarmed around us, stuffing themselves with junk food and racing to the game booths. The park seemed to be a popular teen hangout and we blended in, except for the height factor. Max would have been impressed at how well I'd figured everything out.

Nudge led the way to a large picnic table. From it we could view the game booth action, all the lovesick teenage boys trying to win prizes for their skimpily clad girlfriends. Of course, that picture made me think of Max, alone in her hospital room. She would have loved to escape for a couple hours.

Gazzy sat down and started to devour a banana split sundae. Angel slowly scooped out a spoonful of mint chocolate chip ice cream from a cup. She looked a little sun burnt and we'd only been here for a few hours. Nudge sipped a cherry pomegranate smoothie, smiling at the activity around us.

"Mmmmm!" Iggy exclaimed, biting into a warm brownie and vanilla ice cream. He had ordered a large version of the brownie sundae and it had cost me five bucks.

"I want to ride some more rollercoasters," Gazzy said around a mouthful of banana pieces and strawberry ice cream.

"Yeah, I want to go on that spinny ride again. I felt like I was in a tornado. It was awesome!" Iggy said. We'd gone on a ride that was inside a barn and spun around really fast. It tilted side to side and there were animals and furniture painted on the walls. It was boring.

"We will," I answered, laughing. I ran my hand through my hair, pushing my bangs out of my eyes. Everyone was enjoying themselves, including me. But somewhere in the back of my mind there was something that told me I never should have left Max alone.

I watched the people around us, scanning the crowd for anything suspicious. The last thing I needed was an Eraser to ruin the day. The game booths looked okay and everyone appeared to be normal.

As I looked around us, I spotted a huge White Bengal Tiger stuffed animal at some kind of shooting booth. Some guy was handing a smaller version to his girlfriend. _Wouldn't Max get a kick out of this? I'm determined to win a stuffed animal for her. I must be mental, _I thought.

"Anyone up for a shooting game?" I asked, nonchalantly. I turned back to the group to see that Iggy and Gazzy were almost finished with their desserts.

"Me!" Gazzy jumped up excitedly, almost knocking over Nudge's smoothie. She gave him a death glare that made everyone laugh. He didn't bother apologizing.

After a moment, Iggy said, "I wanna give shooting a try." I laughed thinking about how Max would have come up with some quirky thing to say about the fact that he's blind.

"Just don't hit me with whatever we're firing," I said, standing up. Iggy lightly touched my shoulder as we pushed through the crowd to get to the game booths.

The shooting booth was decorated with lots of fake greenery and the speaker was playing music that included jungle animal noises and insect buzzing. In a matter of seconds the Amazon soundtrack would begin to get on my nerves.

"How may I help you?" the too-skinny brunette behind the counter said, twirling her hair around her finger.

"Three for two minutes," I said, handing her six dollars.

"Good luck," she said, smiling and fluttering her eyelashes seductively, while she set up the animals and set the timers. The flirtation didn't work.

"Ten bucks says I hit more targets than you do," Iggy said, taking hold of his water gun.

"You're on!" I agreed, taking aim with my own water gun. The stream hit its target, a cardboard monkey. This was going to be a cinch.

Iggy and I were shooting targets at the same rate. I rarely missed and, surprisingly, neither did Iggy. I found myself wondering how the blind guy was doing so well. I mean, aiming and shooting at a target wasn't easy when you couldn't see.

Gazzy was having troubles, though. His water gun had a screwed-up firing button and he would lose a lot of water to fire at one target. He wasn't hitting very many of the cardboard animals either. Bad aim, I guess.

As the timer wore down Iggy and I remained neck and neck. I was shooting without aiming, in a must-win state of mind. The timer ran out as I was aiming at some kind of wildcat. I just beat Iggy by one target. I started to gloat when a piercing scream ripped through the amusement park.

My body reacted before my brain. I began pushing through the crowd, leaving Gazzy and Iggy behind. I heard Gazzy yell for Angel and could hear them trying to make a path through the group behind me.

I saw Angel as I neared the break in the crowd. She was crying and shaking Nudge, who had gone completely limp. Everyone was staring at her and Nudge and their curious gazes transferred to me as I ran toward the picnic table.

"Angel, what's wrong?" I asked urgently, crouching down to her level.

She shook her head slowly and whimpered slightly, turning her eyes to Nudge. I followed them with my own. Shock and worry coursed through me at what I saw, but I tried to keep my cool.

Nudge's chocolate brown eyes were no longer brown. Instead they were grey and glazed over, like she had gone blind, or worse, was dead. She had lost some color in her face. I touched her on the knee gently. She didn't flinch. She was unresponsive.

Angel began to cry and she tried to turn her whimpering into words. I caught something that sounded like hospital and heart, but the rest was incoherent.

And then Nudge's eyes returned to normal and she sat up quickly.

"MAX!" She fell forward into me.

"Some….something's wrong. Anne….she's at the….hospital. She…she…sh.." Her eyes flickered and I could tell that her energy was totally zapped. Angel was still crying and neither Gazzy nor Iggy could console her.

"Damn it! I knew something was going to happen," I yelled. The feeling that had faded during our shooting match returned. I carefully lifted Nudge in my arms.

"Up and away, guys," I said, trying to control my shaking voice and unfurling my wings.

_Hold on, Max. We're coming._

**A/N: Sorry, it's another cliffhanger, but don't worry I'm working on chapter 16. **


	16. Sending Up A Prayer

Sending Up a Prayer

**A/N: Hi everyone. I know it has been forever since I updated and I thank those of you who have come back to read more of Love's Lesson. Family and school have been keeping me extremely busy. However, I am happy to report that my winter break is approaching and I hope to have more writing time then so I can get out a few more chapters. Thanks to my editor, marauder05. And thanks again for coming back to the story. I'm sorry it's taken me so long. Please review.**

"What happened?" Dr. Marshall asked, rushing into Max's hospital room to find another doctor and nurses preparing to resuscitate his patient. He'd been on lunch break when he'd received the code blue from the bird girl room.

"Her heart just stopped. She had a visitor, her aunt, and after she left Chrissie's heart just stopped," a nurse said, bewilderment in her eyes. She stepped aside so Dr. Marshall could reach the hospital bed. "Neither one of the babies has a pulse either."

He leaned down to check Max's pulse. He couldn't pick up anything. Nothing, not even a faint tap from under her skin, reached his fingers on her wrist. Stepping back, he made room for the crash cart which was in the hands of a nervous resident. First-timer.

"Someone get an obstetrician in here," he yelled out the door to the crowd of nurses and doctors that had formed in the hallway.

Turning back to his patient, he watched the nurse cut the hospital gown away and prepare the gel that would prevent direct skin contact and burns from the electric shock. He wondered why there weren't bird kids freaking out and then realized that they weren't in the room. Where was her support group?

"Has anyone seen Chrissie's family?" he asked as a nurse set the crash cart to 100 and prepared to shock her.

"They left early this morning. I think there was talk of going to the amusement park down by the bay," a nurse from the hallway said, "They won't be back till dark."

Dr. Marshall turned back to the resident with the shock paddles and nodded. There was no way he was giving up on this patient. She was special, remarkable. The idea of more of her kind and the chance to study their way of life sent a thrill through his spine. His patient couldn't die.

I couldn't breathe. What was wrong with me? I fought for air. I couldn't feel my heart pounding against my ribs. It wasn't beating. But I was still on Earth. I could hear the nurses and Dr. Marshall as they tried to figure out the best plan of action. I hadn't suffered an out of body experience. And I wasn't flying above, in Heaven, watching as Fang and the others laughed on a wild rollercoaster ride. My body was paralyzed, unable to move and without a beating heart. I felt myself panic for the first time in a long time. I didn't know whether I could fight to survive this time. I didn't know what I was trying to fight.

The gel was icy cold, like the ocean near the North Pole. I felt the weight of the paddles on my chest and tried to breath, tried to move. One shock could send my heart into overdrive or keep it from starting up again on its own. I didn't know if the shock could hurt my unborn children, but I knew I couldn't let it happen to me. I couldn't let them shock me, pushing electricity through my body in order to restart my failing heart.

Terror surged through me. I tried to open my eyes and wiggle my fingers. Anything that would get their attention, but nothing was working. I was frozen, a stone statue among moving, breathing people.

Suddenly, I felt my body convulse of its own accord. I began to shake, no longer controlled by my mind, but by the poison coursing through my veins.

"She's seizing." I heard the fear in Dr. Marshall's voice as he realized what was happening.

I felt a needle slide into the vein on my left arm and something cool began to flow through my body. Slowly, the tremors subsided and I felt my heart beating against my chest. It was normal, peaceful. Unexpected and welcomed at the same time.

Quiet surrounded me. The nurses and doctors weren't speaking. I opened my eyes slowly. At first my vision was blurry, but it soon cleared and I took in the people around me.

Everyone was still there, but they weren't looking at me. They were looking at the heart monitor. My heart and one child's heart beat strongly. Regularly. Perfectly. The other heart struggled, palpating abnormally.

I moved my hand to my swollen abdomen, willing the second heart to strengthen and even out, wondering why my support system hadn't arrived. I couldn't lose one. I didn't even know the sex yet. I hadn't wanted to know until now.

A tear slid down my cheek. I would crumble without both of them. For the first time in a long time I began praying, begging a higher power to help me carry two strong children to term. Begging that both of them would survive the massive stress we had been put through in such a short period of time. I felt my motherly intuition kicking in prematurely and yet it felt wonderful to know that it was there.

Slowly, the third line started to regulate itself. The odd pauses and tall lines became normal, matching the first small line of its sibling. I breathed deeply and another tear slid down my cheek. My babies were strong. They were fighters like their family. They were going to be okay.

I breathed a sigh of relief. A pair of eyes turned to me. A woman in her late twenties met my eyes with her own emerald green ones. She held the shock paddles and she was smiling.

The eyes turned towards the door about the same time that my ears picked up on the sound of shoes hitting the tiled floor. Nurses yelled after them, but they continued down the hallway.

Fang pushed his way through the large crowd of people outside my door. His face wasn't stone like I was so used to seeing before in a moment of crisis. It was an open book. His face showed sheer terror and when he saw my face, wet with tears, he shed a tear of his own.  
"Oh, thank God!" he breathed, rushing to my side and quickly kissing me. He pulled back before I wanted him to, clearly self conscious about the large group around us.

Dr. Marshall turned away from the heart monitor and smiled, then began to usher the nurses out.

"We got lucky there didn't we?" he said.

I nodded in agreement and took Fang's hand as he reached for mine. His dark eyes were filled to the brim with questions. Questions that would be explained in time, but right now all I wanted to do was let him hold me. I just wanted to have him and the rest of the Flock around me, to know that they were safe and here.

Dr. Marshall told us that he'd be back later to check on me and that my obstetrician would also be up to make sure everything was really fine.

As he left Gazzy, Angel, Iggy, and Nudge made their way into the room. They all shared the same worried expression and at the sight of, what I assumed was my pale, fragile state. They crowded the doorway until I told them that everything was okay.

And I _was_ okay. I'd been through the scariest moment of my life, time that I could never get back. But, I'd also witnessed a miracle. I'd lived without a beating heart, if only for a short while. And my children were still alive, inside of me. Anne hadn't been able to take that away from me.

However, I knew that I couldn't stay in this hospital for much longer. If I didn't get out soon, Anne would learn of her plan's failure and someone else would be out here, trying to kill me and the future of human-bird kind.


	17. Kicked Out

Kicked Out

**A/N: So...after months of not writing a single word...I'm back! And I'm hoping that my dedicated readers are too. I haven't run this past my beta yet, but I just had to get it up for everyone. Finally, my writer's block is gone. :) Well, I hope you enjoy it! **

"Ouch!" Angel jerked her head forward and jumped off the hospital bed. She'd been sitting quietly while I ran a brush through her ratted, blonde hair. Too bad she's so tender headed.

It had been three weeks since Anne's visit. Nudge and Angel had opted to stay with me while the boys went out to get some food. I was dying for something worth eating and since I couldn't have Iggy's cooking I was willing to settle for Chinese take-out.

I curled my legs under me and leaned back against a pile of pillows, pressing against my right side. Baby number one was pressing its elbow up into my ribcage. It'd been doing similar things for a while. Sometimes the pain seemed unbearable. Luckily, I'd learned that pushing back tended to end it.

It was weird to think that I was already six months into the pregnancy. Technically I was only about five but the twins were growing rapidly, like I was almost through with the second trimester. It seemed like just yesterday I'd purchased the pregnancy test that would change my life. I'd gained about twenty pounds and rounded out. I'd gone up two jean sizes. I'd always imagined pregnant women gaining between seventy and one hundred pounds because of the extra food intake. And I thought they gained more than just a pregnant belly…fat thighs and a huge butt couldn't be excluded. After all, that's why there was a maternity section in most clothing stores, right?

I heard footsteps outside the room. Gazzy walked in carrying a large paper bag. Fang and Iggy walked in behind him, each carrying two bags of the same size. The smell of sweet and sour chicken, honey almond shrimp, fried rice, and crab rangoon wafted to my nose. My mouth began to water. We were in for a major feast.

Boxes were unloaded from the bags and forks were thrown around the room. Let's just say chopsticks and bird kids don't mix whatsoever. I watched the others begin digging into the food and then began to eat.

I took a bit of the honey almond shrimp, savoring the sweet taste. It was sooo much better than the hospital food. One hundred times better. I stabbed another shrimp before I'd swallowed the first.

We were all shoveling food into our mouths when my OB/GYN came in. She had an appalled look on her face, probably because of Gazzy's loud "outburst". I guessed she'd never been caught in the cafeteria when the Flock was eating before.

"Is this a bad time?" she asked, embarrassed.

I tried to swallow what was in my mouth and ended up choking as it went down. It took me a few moments to recover and by the time I was done coughing everyone was staring at me.

"Are you alright?" Fang asked, handing me a cup of water. I took a slow sip before gulping down the rest, trying to stop the burning in my throat.

"Yeah, I'm okay," I croaked, handing the cup back to him. "You can come closer, Dr. Mills. We don't bite."

Dr. Emily Mills was short with dark skin and curly black hair that hung to her shoulders. She wore pastel yellow scrubs which dragged the floor as she took a few steps into the room. She frowned at the mess surrounding Iggy and Gazzy. Fried rice littered the floor.

"I was hoping I could talk to you and Fang alone," she said, raising her eyes to look at me.

Her voice held a hint of worry and I immediately ordered Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel out of the room. They retaliated with grunts and complaints. Their versions of short-lived temper tantrums. But then again, I didn't blame them. There was still food to eat. And I know I was still starving.

Fang stood up from the chair where he'd been sitting and came up behind me, squeezing my shoulders. "Is something wrong?" he asked calmly.

"I'm afraid so," Dr. Mills answered. Self consciously she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear before continuing. "The hospital is no longer able to let you and the others stay here. The board has found it a risky investment."

You may be thinking that the Flock would never willingly agree to stay in a hospital or any medical building even if it was the last place left on Earth. But for some reason we'd trusted the people here. Maybe it was the great care and support they'd provided. Maybe it was the friendly faces and warm feelings we received from the staff. So when the Chief of Staff had offered to let us stay here until the twins were born we all jumped at the opportunity.

Now I sat stunned into silence. Everyone had seemed so adamant about us staying here. I guess we were going to end up back in the good old wilderness. After all, it was such a great place to raise a family.

"I know this may come as a shock after all of the hospitality we've shown towards you."

I gave Fang a look. It said, _you could say that again!_ He smirked and squeezed my shoulders again.

"You see, all of the observations and excitement have distracted the surgeons. And providing food for the six of you is a bit challenging…" Dr. Mills trailed off, looking around the room and the Chinese food.

Again you may be thinking, the Flock agreed to observations? Technically we didn't agree to them, but none of them involved being shoved into tiny dog kennels and poked with needles. In fact, the only thing the doctors and nurses had done was come in for short periods of time and watched us go about our daily interactions. (They were surprised to find out we were just like normal people, except for the flying.)

Gaining my composure, I stood up, pushing Fang's hands off my shoulders. "I understand, Dr. Mills. We'll start packing right away and be gone by morning. You won't even know we were here."

The Flock knew better than to overstay their welcome. That's what led to massive problems and possible injuries. Besides, I was dying to stretch my wings a little bit more and the white walls sure were boring.

Dr. Mills' face fell slightly. It was obvious she didn't enjoy delivering this news. She was obviously shocked by my instant reaction.

"There's no need for you to run off immediately. I've scheduled an ultrasound for you in the morning. No one expects you to be gone before then," she said, moving closer to Fang and me.

"That's very generous of you," I said, icily, "but we'll be gone before then. Don't want to cause anyone any problems."

"It's not a problem," Dr. Mills protested.

"Chrissie, it's not a bad idea. You said you'd changed your mind about finding out the sex of the twins. This could be the only opportunity to before they're born," Fang said, moving around the bed to take my hand.

"Fine," I sighed, "But after that we're out of here. "

I pushed Fang towards the door and he went out to tell the others. Dr. Mills looked uncomfortable as I stared at her, unsure of what to say.

"I'm sorry about this, Chrissie," she said, wrapping her arms around me.

I pushed her away and moved around the room. "It's not your fault. I just don't want to have to raise my kids out there. I guess I knew we wouldn't be able to stay here forever, but for a while it was a glimmer of hope."

I'd never told that much to a mere stranger before. And tears started slipping down my cheeks. Dr. Mills gave me a sad smile and then left the room, pulling the door closed behind her.

**A/N: Oh, and guess what! Chapter Eighteen is ready too!**


	18. A Glimpse of the Future

A Glimpse of the Future

**A/N: What can I say? I like to make an appearance once in a while. :P I know some of the things that happen in this chapter aren't exactly Max and Fang like but...I liked it any way. And when you finally loose your writer's block after almost half a year, when pen will finally write on paper, and fingers will type at the keyboard, you just have to let the words go. Thanks to my beta, marauder05, for her wonderful critiques and suggestions. Enjoy!**

"I can't believe we have to leave," Angel said, gripping the end of the bed. It was the next morning. A cloudy sky with a sixty percent chance of rain was in the forecast. Our few belongings had been packed into our backpacks the night before. Everything was ready for our departure.

"Fang and I won't be gone long," I said, turning from my place at the window to address the Flock. "Be ready when we get back."

I watched as Fang picked up his backpack. It was overstuffed. We'd made the decision to leave mine behind. Apparently no one thought I should be carrying extra weight while flying. He shot me one of his heart jumping smiles and shook out his shaggy, black hair. I smiled back and headed towards the door.

"Why can't we come?" Nudge asked, sweetly. "I want to see the twins."

"It's only for Fang and me. Parents only," I said, laughing. I didn't think it was necessary for all six of us to crowd into an examination room.

Nudge sighed and flopped down on the ugly blue couch in front of the window. I watched as Angel joined her and then headed out into the hallway, Fang following behind.

We walked in silence, our shoes slightly clicking on the grey tiled flooring. Today was the moment of truth. Would it be two boys, two girls, or one of each? Personally, I didn't want to know. But I knew Fang did, and I was doing this for him.

We walked past the nurses' station. They all had their fake smiles plastered on this morning as they called out their hellos to passing patients and family members. This was a sight I definitely wasn't going to miss. The fake hospitality covering up the longing to actually be a surgeon. Or the gossip about what intern was dating which resident.

Fang's hand brushed mine as we rounded the corner heading towards the elevator. It sent a spark up my arm and made my heart start racing. We hadn't been completely alone for days and the pregnancy sure wasn't doing anything for my hormones.

I grabbed his hand pulling him towards me. We were standing in the middle of the hallway, but I could've cared less. His lips met mine. They were rough, chapped from the wind and sun. I felt his tongue glide across my lips, sending a shiver down my spine. His body pressed against my rounded frame, annoying yet cute all in one.

I pulled away to catch my breath, pushing a strand of hair out of my face and pushing the elevator button. Then we were lip locked again. I ran my hands through his hair as his arms lowered to the small of my back. It was amazing that his arms could reach around me even with the twins in the way.

As the elevator door opened, Fang pushed me through. We continued kissing as the door closed, slamming considerably. We pulled away for a moment. Fang's eyes were glittering and he had a sideways smile on his face.

No, this wasn't one of those hot elevator scenes where the girl tears her clothes off while the guy hits the elevator's stop button. Instead Fang took my face in his hands and kissed me gently. Then he pulled me into his chest and we just stood there as the elevator moved down to the second floor.

"Have I told you lately how beautiful you are?" he asked, looking down at me.

"Not nearly enough," I said, smiling. This side of Fang rarely came out, but it was quickly becoming my favorite.

He kissed me on the forehead and then moved to my lips. "Maximum Ride, you are beautiful. You're so beautiful you glow!"

I began to laugh. Me. Glowing? Could you imagine?

The elevator door opened and we stepped out, hand in hand. It only took us a few minutes and we were standing in front of the nursery. All those little faces sleeping in separate cribs, names posted so visitors could find out which little bundle of joy they are related to. It was weird to think that the Flock could be doing this soon. Fang leading them over to one of the windows and pointing out two little bird kids. That they'd belong to us.

We continued down the corridor until we reached Dr. Mills' office. She welcomed us with a brilliant, white smile. We were ushered into an examination room. The sonogram system was already set up, the gel out on the table. I'd been through the procedure before, but this time it felt different.

We made small talk as Dr. Mills turned on the machine and I climbed onto the patients bed/table thing. I still couldn't decide which it was supposed to be.

"Ready for this?" Fang asked pulling a chair up beside me.

"Only if you are," I said, moving my shirt up so Dr. Mills could apply the cool, blue gel.

We watched as the first twin showed up on the monitor. Now this one was the quiet one. Usually on my left side, higher than its sibling. It was a rare occurrence for it to cause much pain or even move. I was pretty sure it was the weaker of the two.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Fang asked, squeezing my hand.

"She's a little girl," Dr. Mills said, smiling. "And she's a fighter."

We were having a little girl! I turned to Fang, grinning. How hard could it be? We'd already practically raised Angel, and she was a handful.

Dr. Mills moved the medical apparatus to my right side. There was the trouble maker, sprawled out, tiny wings unfurled. I already had a feeling about this one.

"And this little tyke," Dr. Mills began, "is a boy!"

If Fang was the type to whoop and holler I figured he'd be doing it then. After all, what kind of man doesn't want to have a little boy to play football and baseball with. Or in our case, teach to fly.

"Thank you," he said, standing up. I watched him cross the room and get closer to the ultrasound screen. Dr. Mills had moved the medical instrument so both babies could be seen.

It was our little boy and little girl. My little girl. My little boy. I sat in awe at the beautiful sight before me. Even though our little girl was curled up, one hand was extended. Her brother grasped it in his own.

**A/N: Chapter 19 should be with you soon. I'm already writing it. :)**


	19. Camping Out

Camping Out

**A/N: Hey look! Another chapter. :) Thanks to those who came back! And thanks for editing, marauder05. R&R!**

Two weeks later we were camping out in the clearing where this story began. The sun was setting over the hillside, painting oranges and pinks across the sky above us. The spring air was cool, a hint of winter still left in the atmosphere.

We'd been to visit Mattew and Margaret after leaving the hospital. They were worried sick, but after a few hours let us leave the house. They were rebuilding the cabin for us. Well…a slightly bigger version of it. Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a giant kitchen were more than we could have asked for. We were set to move in at the end of the month.

Angel, Nudge, and I sat against a large oak tree flipping through a few baby name books that Margaret had given us. Sophia…Anne…Lucas…Peter…Nothing seemed to stick. I guess the names couldn't jump off the page and scream "Pick me!"

Angel and Nudge giggled over name meanings as I leaned my head against the tree, and turned to watch Fang. Even though there was a nice breeze, sweat dripped from his forehead as he slammed an axe into a fallen tree. His muscles were clearly defined in the black tee-shirt her wore as he swung the axe back in preparation to chop the tree again.

I turned my head to take in Gazzy and Iggy, sitting all the way across the clearing, no doubt whispering about some new explosive plan. Things seemed peaceful. The Flock was almost settled again. Yet again, things were almost too quiet.

A contraction racked my body and I clenched my teeth in pain. Angel gave me a concerned look. Her blue eyes seemed to radiate the pain I was feeling. Dr. Mills had warned me about Braxton Hicks contractions, but she hadn't warned me about the discomfort. They'd become more regular in the past few days, sometimes more than one occurring every hour.

"Nudge, could you get me a bottle of water?" I asked, quietly. She nodded, putting down the baby book and walking a few feet to a cooler where we were keeping water and some soda.

"Thanks, sweetie!" I said when she handed the bottle to me. I unscrewed the cap and took a small drink.

The sun continued to fade beneath the hill and behind the trees. The sky slowly turned a dark, midnight black. Bright stars glittered above. There was no moon.

Angel yawned next to me and unraveled her wings slightly. She stood up, wandering over to one of the tents we had set up. Nudge whispered good night and followed her. I watched as she zipped up the tent and a flashlight began to glow from inside.

Iggy and Gazzy had disappeared from sight, probably running off to pursue whatever master plan they'd come up with earlier. Fang put the axe down and came to sit beside me, breathing in the clean air.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, taking my hand in his.

"Fine," I said, smiling. I kissed his cheek and put my head on his shoulder.

We sat in silence, lost in thought. Clouds rolled in above us, fading out the stars. The wind picked up just enough to make it obvious that a storm was heading our way. Thunder could be heard from miles away.

Fang turned and kissed my neck, sending shivers down my spine. This felt vaguely familiar. This spot. Fang's touch. Even the tree behind us. However, there was a little boy, moving in his sleep and pressing on my bladder there to ruin the moment.

"Could you help me up?" I said, pulling away from Fang's touch. He stood and grasped my extended hand, helping me to my feet.

"You look tired," he said, walking towards one of the tents. He looked back when he realized I wasn't following.

"I'll be there in a minute. K?"

"Sure," he said, smiling. "I'll give you a minute."

I woke up the next morning close to dawn. Fang was still asleep, hanging halfway off of the air mattress we'd been sleeping on, blankets completely thrown aside. It was a cute look for him, hair a little wild, dark skin exposed.

I slid out from under the blankets and pulled a hoodie on over my pajamas pants and tank top. Unzipping the tent, I stepped out into the growing sunshine. Everyone was still asleep. I could hear muffled snores coming from Iggy and Gazzy's tent, a welcome assurance that they'd made it back alright.

I waddled over to the large oak tree where Nudge, Angel and I had been sitting the night before. The grass was wet with dew and small pieces stuck to the bottom of my feet. As I tried to sit down a Braxton Hicks contraction racked my body, more painful than the ones before.

I was getting really sick of this. I was constantly tired, constantly aching somewhere, always hungry. And I always had to pee! I had definitely decided I wasn't going anywhere near this situation again. The twins would be it. I felt like a pig, eating twice what the other Flock members did. And I was usually too tired to fly with everyone. How lame was that!

I leaned back against the tree, turning my face to the rising sun. It seemed so big so close to the horizon and it shrank the farther up the sky it went. The sunrise painted the sky in hues of orange and red.

I felt another contraction move down my spine and bit my tongue to keep from yelling out. It was the second one in 20 minutes. I heard rustling coming from a patch of trees to my left. I watched as a squirrel stepped out of a bush, holding an acorn in its tiny paws.

"Hey Max," Nudge said, walking towards me. She looked like she hadn't gotten much sleep.

"Morning, sweetie. You okay?" I asked as she lowered herself to the ground next to me.

"Not really. I think my dream last night was a premonition of some kind," she said sighing.

Since Anne's attack on me at the hospital, Nudge had been having visions of the future. Most hadn't been coming true and more often than not they were about people we didn't even know. They were sporadic, only coming to her every couple of weeks.

"Wanna talk about it?" I asked, shifting to look at her.

"Not really," she said, quietly. She looked like she was contemplating something.

I knew better than to push the subject, but Nudge was a talker. I'd heard every detail of her first premonition of me with Anne in the hospital. And she'd never hesitated to talk about others. Even when they didn't come true.

_Ask her again_, the voice said. Silently, I huffed. What was with appearing out of the blue all the time? It was getting old.

"Are you sure?" I asked, putting my hand on her shoulder.

She turned her head to look at me, her dark eyes filled with worry. "They were back," she said, closing her eyes.

"Who was back?" I asked, moving my hand away from her shoulder.

"The Erasers," she said, pausing. "We were here, in this grove and they just attacked. I didn't really see much, just a lot of fighting. A lot of injury on both sides. I heard a lot of screaming, too…"

"Did you get a date or something?" I asked, a touch of panic setting in.

"You know my visions don't work like that, Max," she said, a sad look on her face.

"Was that everything?" I asked, wrapping her into a hug.

"Everything I can remember…"she said, trailing off.

Before I could respond another contraction moved down my spine. I barely kept myself from yelling out. Nudge yelped. I'd dug my nails into her back.

"I'm sorry," I said, letting go of her.

"It's alright. Are you sure you're okay?" she asked. The worry that I'd seen in her eyes had reached her smile.

"Yes, Max. Are you sure you're okay?" a gruff voice said, moving out of the trees behind me.

Before I could turn to see who it was, an Eraser stepped out of the forest close to Nudge and picked her up by the throat. She screamed in absolute terror. This was the first time a vision about us had been anywhere close to true.

Quickly, I turned around to see Ari standing behind me. Two more were coming out of the trees behind him. I could hear more footsteps crackling leaves, splitting sticks, and rustling bushes. Looking to my right, I could see more Erasers moving out of the shadows, making a circle around the clearing.

Fang was the first out of the tents. Gazzy and Iggy's tent was moving and soon they were stepping out next to him, taking in the surprise attack. Angel joined them, her blonde hair sticking up at odd angles. Fang looked towards Nudge and I before saying something to them.

Another contraction ripped through my body and Ari's wolf-like howl filled the air. I heard Nudge struggling with the Eraser who still had a strong hold on her.

I guess all of this was just too much excitement for the twins. At that very moment, my water decided to break.


	20. Fire and Ice

Fire and Ice

**A/N: Hey everyone. I just want to let you know that this chapter jumps back and forth between Max and Fang. I've labeled the changes to make them clearer to you, the readers.**

**_Max_**

Scratched and bruised, after hours of fighting I'd finally managed to break away from the group. The contractions were gruesome. I stumbled through the forest, pausing to catch my breath as each contraction coursed through my body. I'd never felt pain like this before. It hurt worse than the wrist I knew was broken and the deep gouge on my back that had been caused by an Eraser.

I could still hear the battle raging from where I was. Desperately, I tried to find a flat space of land among the crowded trees. I wouldn't be able to walk much farther. Pain cascaded down my spine like huge waterfalls. The contractions were too close together.

I thought of the Flock, fighting in the clearing. Nudge had narrowly escaped getting her jugular vein torn out. Gazzy had been bleeding from behind his ear the last time I'd seen him. Little Angel was dive bombing the Erasers and trying to nurse a broken arm at the same time. Iggy had detonated some king of explosive, killing three Erasers near him. Fang…I hadn't seen Fang since he pulled Ari away from me.

Fear raced through my blood. We'd never had to fight off Erasers this long. And there were at least twenty more still in the clearing. I'd never doubted the Flock before, but my mind began showing me pieces of old nightmares that I'd thought were buried. Nightmares of death and destruction. Of losing the things that I held most dear.

I held in a sob, trying hard not to concentrate on what was happening in the clearing. I heard footsteps coming from behind me and I turned around, expecting to be bombarded by Erasers.

* * *

**_Fang_**

Where is Max! I whirled around, trying to catch a glimpse of her blonde hair. It was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, Ari was in front of me again, jeering. I quickly jumped into the sky, snapping out my wings.

Apparently, I wasn't quick enough. Pain shot through my left wing as an Eraser's claws ripped through the muscle and tissue. I gritted my teeth and tried to fly higher. I shook as I flew, trying to loosen the Eraser's grip. When it did, I heard the Eraser scream as it raced towards the ground.

I tried to keep myself up with one good wing, but it soon became nearly impossible and I headed back towards the ground.

"Where's Max?" I questioned Ari, as I landed in front of him.

"Dead, I suppose," he said, laughing. "And those no good bird kids too."

Anger began to cloud my thoughts and my vision. Max couldn't be dead. We couldn't have spent our last night together, kissed for the last time before going to bed.

I lunged at Ari, throwing punches manically. One struck his snout and a small pop was heard. Blood began to gush out and Ari grabbed it in pain. His eyes began to tear up and I swung around to face an Eraser positioned on my right.

It was a moment of weakness, of thoughtlessness. As soon as I'd turned Ari was on my back and I was falling. My face pressed into the grass. He pulled at feathers and stuck his claws into my shoulders.

"Pay back's a bitch," he snarled into my ear before getting up.

The moment his weight left my back I was scrambling up from the ground. You're weaker when you're down. I noticed Gazzy and Iggy easily defeat the deformed wolf-like creatures they were combating. Angel was a few steps behind Ari, struggling to fight off two Erasers.

We'd injured a good number of them. And a few more were dead. But they just seemed to keep coming. Maybe this was the last wave. I hoped it was. I could tell everyone was exhausted and we were all bleeding somewhere. This battle definitely wasn't going our way.

* * *

**_Max_**

It had been another hour since I'd escaped the clearing. Nudge had somehow followed me, escaping the bloody battle. She now sat at my feet, hands on my knees.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked. Concern glimmered in her dark eyes. A few twigs were stuck in her hair.

"I believe in you, Nudge," I said, then bit down on my tongue to keep from screaming as another contraction hit. There was an iron taste in my mouth from the blood I'd drawn.

"I don't know if I can do this," she whispered, wiping a tear from her cheek.

I tried not to laugh. _She _couldn't do it! I didn't think I could do it. After carrying the twins for seven months I wasn't ready to become a mother. I never really had been. But you can't stop time and they were ready to come. And now.

"Max, you've got to push," Nudge said. If her face could have been pale white, it would have been. She looked like she was going to be sick.

Another contraction ripped through my body and I curled myself up, pushing with all of my strength. Sweat beaded on my forehead. Now I realized why women had babies in hospitals and why mothers always told their friends to go with the epidural. This was pure torture.

"Here he comes," Nudge exclaimed. "Push, Max!"

* * *

_**Fang**_

Ari stood in front of me, breathing heavily. We were both bloody and battered. My left wing lay against my back. It was useless. Ari could barely see through the blood running down his forehead.

Angel was a few feet away, trying to use her mind control on two Erasers. They had blank looks in their eyes and immediately began to turn on one another. Gazzy and Iggy were quickly pulling together a homemade explosive. We needed something that could knock out more than one attacker at a time.

Nudge and Angel were still nowhere to be found and I began to fear the worst. Maybe we had lost members of the Flock. Maybe Max really was dead.

Ari lunged towards me. We slammed into a tree and I heard it crack with the force. We tumbled to the ground, wrestling for control. There was a rock nearby and I reached for it. Any weapon was a good weapon at this point.

Ari managed to roll me onto my back and he punched his hairy fist against my face. I felt my lip bust and begin to bleed.

Suddenly a loud wail reached our ears. It sounded like a young baby. And I felt a rush of adrenaline move through my veins. Max wasn't dead. And I had to get to her.

Grasping the rock in my hand I hit Ari hard. The rock struck his temple and he cried out in pain, rolling away from me and grasping his head. I was off the ground before you could count to three and running towards the forest.

Gazzy threw one last bomb and stepped in next to me. Angel joined us, guiding Iggy through the brush and ducking under low tree limbs. The Erasers didn't try to follow us. I guess Ari had had about enough.

* * *

Later that night, the Flock sat around a camp fire. A tiny cry cut the stillness and Fang gently lifted his son from a blanket. Angel looked down into the face of her little niece. Max sat against a tree looking up at the sky.

"So what are you going to name them?" Angel asked curiously. The tiny baby in her arms yawned, blue eyes wide. She had a small tuft of black hair on the top of her head.

Fang walked around the fire to sit next to Max. They both looked down at their son who had a head full of blonde hair. "Fire and ice." Fang said.

"What?" Nudge questioned. She was slightly worried that those were the actual names Max and Fang had decided on. In her opinion, they just wouldn't do.

"Blaise and Crystala," Max said. "They mean fire and ice. That way the twins balance each other out."

She smiled down at her little boy as she took him from Fang's arms. He and his sister sure had chosen an inconvenient time to arrive, but she loved them any way. It had been worth it, even through all of the pain. They'd managed to find perfection. And now there were memories to be made and stories to be told. Strong Blaise and tiny Crystala. They were perfect. And of course they were. They had to be because they were hers. After all, the love of a mother may be the easiest lesson to learn.

**The End**

**A/N: I want to thank everyone who continued to read and support this story. It's been a long process. I also want to thank my fantastic beta and best friend, marauder05. You've been a great help with this and many other stories. I really hope you all enjoyed the ending. It brought me great pleasure to read all of the wonderful reviews and kind critiques that came with each chapter. And now, I'm off to write a HP fic called Silver Windows. If you like HP feel free to move with me to the new adventure. :)**


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